Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death
by TheseusLives
Summary: Percy is believed dead, but he is actually on Asgard. The titans have allied themselves with Loki. They wish to use the labyrinth to destroy their enemies, while they wait for Loki and Kronos to merge. The fourth story in the Champion of Olympus series
1. A Lot Going On

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

_**AN: Percy is not immortal, even though Sally was an immortal Valkyrie. She lost her immortality when she fell in love with Poseidon. So, Percy is not three quarters god, but he is more than a normal demigod. As we will learn in this story and the next Percy is more than a demigod with the powers of the eldest gods. A part of him is tied to the world of the Norse, specifically the Aesir. Now for the rest of the story setup. This story starts off three months after the supposed death of Percy. The ages of the main characters are still roughly the same. Percy and Annabeth are still fourteen, but are now closer to fifteen. Luke is nineteen going on twenty. Thalia is thirteen going on fourteen. The twins of Hades are both twelve going on thirteen. Clarisse will be in this story and she is eighteen now. Rachel will be in this story and for the sake of this alternate universe, she will be older than Percy, she is sixteen. As many reviewers guess this story and the next will include the Romans. Jason will be in here and he is older than Thalia by a few months, therefore he is fourteen. Other character will be introduced later on in the story.**_

Chapter 1: A Lot Going On

_Mount Olympus - Zeus and Hera's Palace - Three Months after The Titan's Secret_

**Thalia's POV**

I sat at my desk typing a report about the Battle of Thermopylae that Athena had assigned to me. It was so lonely now on Olympus, after Percy's funeral three months ago Annabeth went back to San Francisco. Athena didn't like it at first, but she finally relented. I knew Annabeth needed to get away from here, it was too painful for her. It was painful for me too and lonely. I was the only one Athena taught now.

Luke finally went back to camp, but he's staying in the big house. The other campers still don't trust him. I couldn't hate look anymore, if Annabeth could forgive him, then why couldn't I? So I had made my peace with him; I knew he loved me back when we were both young, but things change, especially Luke. He grew up, while I remained the same, trapped in my tree. I wasn't even fourteen yet and he was almost twenty. I loved him like an older brother, but just not as much as Percy. Percy was my brother, friend, mentor and confidant. I don't think any one person could replace that, so I had several people who tried to fill his shoes, like Annabeth, Luke, Bianca and Nico.

Speaking of Nico, he and Bianca are in the underworld with their dad, but Nico comes and visits me when he can. I guess we really are boyfriend and girlfriend now, but I can't tell my dad because he'll freak. Nico and I talk about everything, but mostly about Percy. He felt the same way about him as I do. He was like a big brother to Nico as well.

"Thalia, are you ok?" My mother's voice called out to me. I think Hera had the toughest time since Percy's death, other than Annabeth, I guess. Many people thought that she would go back to being the mean and vindictive person she was prior to Percy's birth, instead she remained the loving mother that I had known since my return. The only difference was the sadness in her eyes. Sometimes, I had to look away from her before I would start to cry.

"I'm fine mom, I just have this paper to finish for Athena." I said. My mom sighed when I said my sisters name.

"How is she?" Hera asked. I knew what she was really asking.

"Mom, I know what you're asking. Yes, Athena still believes that Percy's alive somewhere. She even has Artemis convinced as well." I said.

"I know, Artemis has her hunters searching all over the world for him." Hera added.

"Do you think they could be right?" I asked hopefully. My mom looked at me sadly, and then she shook her head.

"You heard everyone, no Olympian could have survived transport to Asgard. He was destroyed by the power of that magic." Hera said.

"Uncle Hades said that his soul wasn't in the underworld." I countered.

"You also know that the blast almost certainly sent his soul to the great void at the center of the universe." Hera said.

"You mean, he's part of Chaos now?" I asked. Hera nodded in agreement.

"Yes, just like a god that faded." Hera said solemnly. I looked at my mother for a moment, and the tears began to fall.

"Mom, I miss him." I stated. Hera knelt down beside me, and then she pulled me into a tight hug.

"I miss him too." Hera said, as we both held onto each other and cried.

* * *

><p><em>Asgard - In the Desert of Despair - Two days after The Titan's Secret<em>

**Percy's POV**

Great, my new found grandfather leaves me in the desert with a cryptic message to go find my teacher in the direction of the rising sun. So here I am walking in this desert with two blazing hot suns beating down on me. I stopped abruptly as an idea came to me. Why in Hades am I walking when I can will the winds to carry me? The heat must be getting to me.

I focused on my power and stretched out my feelings toward the wind, but nothing happened. I stretched out my feelings toward the vegetation, to the water vapor in the air or to the ground below my feet, but nothing happened. I could feel my powers within me, but they had no effect on this world. Suddenly, the realization struck me, I was on an unknown world and none of my powers worked. I'm so screwed.

* * *

><p><em>Mount Othrys - The Black Fortress - Three months after The Titan's Secret<em>

**Ethan's POV**

Chris and I walked into the throne room. Hyperion, Hecate and Loki each sat on a black marble throne. When we entered they stared at us anxiously.

"What have you found, son of Nemesis?" Hyperion asked. I nodded toward Chris to address them. Chris stepped forward confidently.

"Ethan sent me to investigate the labyrinth with twenty other demigods and a few monsters. We found him, finally." Chris said, as he motioned toward two large figures standing by the doors to the throne room. In stepped two very large Cyclops. They were pulling a man with dark hair and grey eyes. He had a short beard that had a few grey hairs peppered in it. He was wearing Greek leather armor with large scratches on it. For the most part he looked in good shape. Hecate stood up immediately at the sight of the man.

"Daedalus," She said. My eyes widened in shock. The Cyclops pulled Daedalus to the base of the thrones. Daedalus stood proudly before the three immortals. I had to respect the man's courage.

"Hecate," Daedalus said venomously. Hecate narrowed her eyes at the demigod or whatever he was now.

"You have knowledge that we seek." Hecate said. Hyperion stood and his eyes flashed with intense light.

"You will make us a map of the labyrinth." Hyperion ordered. Daedalus began to laugh at the titan's command.

"I don't have to do anything." Daedalus said. Hyperion stepped forward with his hand outstretched. He was ready to unleash a powerful blast of energy on the son of Athena.

"Stop Hyperion, let me talk to him." Loki said, his voice sounded like a cross between a snake and a politician. He stood up, he was shorter than Hyperion by at least two feet, but he felt more powerful than the titan. Hecate for her part sat on her throne with an amused look on her face. Hyperion looked angry for a moment, but then he nodded his head in agreement. Loki stepped closer to Daedalus; the demigod stared at the Norse god in awe and for the first time I saw fear in his eyes. Loki stared at him with his dark eyes that swirled like a whirlpool of oil or ink. If you stared into his eyes long enough I could imagine that your mind would get lost in there forever.

"Wh-who ar-are you?" Daedalus asked nervously. Loki gave him an amused smile.

"My name is Loki, perhaps you've heard of me?" Loki said. Daedalus's eyes grew wide and he finally nodded.

"The Norse god." Daedalus said surprisingly.

"Yes, that is correct. I have heard much about the great mind and inventions of Daedalus. I would say that your mother must be proud, but we both know that she's not." Loki said slyly.

"Don't talk about my mother." Daedalus spat.

"I have nothing, but respect for your mother. However, I do believe that she is wrong when it comes to her assessment of you, my friend." Loki said. His voice made everyone in the room listen to him. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was like the sun and our eyes were like the planets. We couldn't look away, even if we wanted to. However, I didn't want to look away. I like everyone in the room, hung on every word that he said.

"My mother was right, I made a horrible mistake." Daedalus said sadly. Loki shook his head in disagreement.

"All beings make mistakes my friend, but you must learn from them and move on. Your mother never gave you that chance. She like the rest of the Olympians, simply passed judgement, and then moved on. That isn't fair, especially to someone with your abilities." Loki said. I could almost see Daedalus's head spinning at the god's words.

"It wasn't fair." Daedalus stated softly.

"Of course it wasn't fair. You deserve so much more, my friend. Let me and my friends help you." Loki urged. Daedalus stared at him for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "Good, Ethan and Chris, please take our friend to the workshop that we created for him. Make sure he has new clothes and is fed well." Chris and I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, my lord." Daedalus said. Loki stepped forward and placed his hands on the demigod's shoulders.

"You don't have to call me lord, Loki is fine, my friend." Loki said with a warm smile. Daedalus smiled back, almost like he was in a trance.

"Yes, Loki, my friend." Daedalus repeated, like a robot. Loki nodded happily.

Chris and I guided Daedalus out of the throne room. I couldn't get over the power that Loki possessed. I could only imagine how powerful he would be in an actual fight and even more so after his merging with Kronos. I looked at my watch. We were less than a month away from the summer solstice. That was the day when the merging would take place. After that day, the fall of Olympus would be inevitable.

_**AN: A short first chapter, but I hope the long author's note at the beginning helps setup this story. Percy can't use is powers on Asgard. Daedalus is now working for the enemy. Athena and Artemis are looking for Percy and are convinced that he's alive. Stay tuned more to come.**_


	2. Deserts and Romans

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

_**AN: To answer some questions from the last chapter. The timing is a little off from the events taking place on Earth versus those on Asgard. All of the Earth events will occur three months after the end of The Titan's Secret, while the events on Asgard are just a few days after those events. Thos concerned about ages of character, don't be as this is an Alternate Universe. Bobby and Reyna are both fourteen, same as Jason.**_

Chapter 2: Deserts and Romans

_Asgard - In the Desert of Despair - Two days after The Titan's Secret_

**Percy's POV**

I walked for several hours before the heat of the suns became too much for me. I sat down in some shade created by several rocks that overhung a small recess in the stone wall of the canyon. The shade felt good, but I could feel my body dehydrating as I sat there. I had to find water or I wouldn't survive this trek through hell. The suns were now high overhead and would soon start to lower in the sky. This would give me a slight respite from the heat, but not much.

I looked around me to see if there were any signs of water. The rocks around me looked like pink sandstone, but this was another realm, so I wasn't too sure. This realm seemed larger than Earth, plus I could tell that the gravity was stronger here. For whatever reason, my muscles seemed to be doing just fine, except for the heat exhaustion and dehydration. Suddenly, I heard a noise further down in the canyon. I tried to look further down the canyon, but the sunlight reflecting off the rock walls hurt my eyes. The noise was coming closer and it was strange. It sounded like sandpaper being rubbed together, combined with a weird rattling that sounded like a baby's rattle. I pulled myself into the recess of the rock wall until the shade hid my body from view.

The noise became even louder as a large creature came into view. I froze at the sight in front of me. A large snake that was as long as a bus and as big around as a tire came into view. The creature's forked tongue moved out of its mouth tasting the air. The snake had scales the size of coffee cup saucers. The snake was the color of the sand below it and it reminded me of rattlesnakes that I had seen on the Discovery Channel. Once the creature passed me I could see the large rattle on the end of its tail. The rattle was about two feet long; therefore the snake had to be pretty old. Once the snake passed me I made the decision to get out of there. I stepped out of the shade and hurried down the canyon where the snake had come from.

I walked quickly down through the canyon, standing in the shade as much as I could. I walked for another hour until I heard the scraping and rattling sound again. I turned around just as the tail of the monster landed on the ground with an explosion of dirt and rock. I uncapped Riptide and threw it at the beast. The blade went straight through the creature without even scratching it. I should have realized that celestial bronze wouldn't work on this creature.

I dove to the left and then I curled myself up into a ball as I rolled away from the monster. The tail slammed into the ground again sending more dirt into the air. I took the opportunity to stand up and twist the ring on my right hand. My double bladed axe extended into my hand just as the massive jaws of the snake struck. I swung my axe with the mortal steel blade. The blade cut through one of the snakes fangs cutting it in two. Venom erupted out of the snakes severed fang like a large hypodermic needle. The snake roared in agony. I rolled away from the venom and the snake's body that was writhing on the ground in front of me.

I stood up as the snake finally calmed down. It looked around until its yellow eyes fixed on my position. The creature looked at me warily, like it was deciding its next move. The snake suddenly moved toward me in an S position. Its body slithered quickly making it hard to figure out its next move. As it approached it suddenly lunged toward me with its massive head, it's mouth was open ready to bite me in half. I jumped out of the way, but the creature whipped its tail at the same time. The massive tail sailed towards me, but I swung my axe at the same time. The tail hit me just as I swung my axe. The force of my strike and the hit from the tail did two things; one it helped me cut off about six feet of its tail including its rattle, and two, the force of the strike knocked the wind out of me. I rolled out of the way again trying to catch my breath. The snake's red blood covered the ground and the severed tail sprayed blood all over the canyon walls.

The creature was losing energy now. I stepped closer to the snake cautiously. This snake was still dangerous, but for right now it was trying to hold on to its life. The creature's eyes rolled back into its head as it lost consciousness. I stepped up to the head of the beast, and then I drove the blade of my axe deep into the creature's skull. The monster turned to sand before my eyes, and then it disappeared into the ground.

I fell backwards and landed on my butt. I was breathing heavily and sweating. I could feel my head spinning from the dehydration. I put away my axe and Riptide as I continued to walk through the canyon. I was about to pass out when I saw a ghostly figure in front of me. It was a tall man with blonde hair and a beard. He looked rather muscle bound, but I could tell that he could move quickly and quietly. He motioned for me to follow him, so I continued forward. I stumbled through the canyon still tired, hungry, and thirsty. My legs felt like jelly, but somehow I continued to walk. Every time I felt like giving up the ghostly figure would appear and urge me forward. I stumbled and fell on my knees. I looked up to see the ghostly figure again. The figure seemed to glow with an ethereal light. The light seemed to brighten until it disappeared in a blinding flash.

I opened my eyes and on the ground in front of me was a cactus like plant. It was bright green with small barbs on the ends of its trunk like branches. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Atlantean pocket knife that Sophus had given me. I cut off an arm of the cactus and held the severed plant over my mouth. A white cloudy liquid oozed out. I caught it on my tongue. It tasted sweeter than I thought, I actually liked the taste. I cut off several more branches and drank my fill of the liquid.

The sun was now setting over the horizon. I found a small sheltered rock outcrop that formed a small cave. I climbed inside it. It would provide some protection from the cold desert night. I fell asleep dreaming of my ghostly guide, that's how my first full day on Asgard ended.

* * *

><p><em>The Roman Camp – Three and one half months since the end of The Titan's Secret<em>

**Jason's POV**

Being a year rounder at Camp Rome was never an easy thing. Lupa trained us hard whether it was summer or winter. The weather in camp was always perfect thanks to the magic boundary that surrounded camp. The magic kept out monsters and bad weather.

By the way, my name is Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and a regular here at camp since I was two years old. I don't remember much about my mother, but I seem to remember that I had a sister. She had black hair and blue eyes. Her blue eyes were exactly like mine, but my blonde hair was like my mother's. I never knew what happened to either of them. When I would ask Lupa, she would just order me back to training or send me on a mission with the first legion.

You see, I'm the Praetor or leader of the first legion. We have about one hundred campers, which were split into ten legions. As the numbers suggest there were roughly ten campers per legion, although legion nine and ten could fluctuate based on the number of campers. The Praetor is the first in command of the legion. The second in command is the Tribune. The third in command is the Prefect. Lastly, there were typically two Centurions. The rest of the legions were typically known as Legionaires.

I almost forgot, Lupa is our camp's director. She is the Roman goddess of wolves and most of the time she walks around in the form of a large grey wolf. She has piercing amber colored eyes that seem to look into your soul. She is a tough teacher and those that don't survive the training are either killed during skirmishes with monsters or in gladiatorial combat. Camp Rome is not for the weak of heart, mind or body.

Tonight, I'm sitting on the roof of bunker one, which is the Jupiter bunker. I like to come up here at night and gaze at the stars. The cool night wind and the stars always relaxed me. I would sometimes dream of my mother and sister. I would always pray to my father and to my patron goddess Juno that I could meet them someday. I know what you're thinking, Juno is my patron. Isn't she horrible to Jupiter's kids? The stories of her hating Jupiter's kids are a myth, well at least to me. She's always treated me well, if not strictly, but that's the way of the Romans.

I'm up on the roof of my bunker for one reason and that's to get away from my problems. You see the Tribune of my legion, her name is Reyna, and she is a daughter of Apollo. She is a really beautiful girl with sandy blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Her skin is always tanned and she is the best archer in camp. She is also the only child of Apollo in over millennia to have the power of light. She can create balls of light energy between her hands, and then she can fire them at targets. These balls of light are very powerful. They can burn through steel and cause incredible explosions. My problem has nothing to do with her powers. It has to do with the fact that I'm head over heels in love with her, well at least I think I am. You see, Reyna and I grew up together. I've known her longer than any of my other friends, but lately I've been thinking of her as more than a friend. That idea scares me, though. I know a child of Rome scared of a girl, crazy isn't it? I'm not scared of her specifically; it's more that I'm afraid that she doesn't feel the same way as I do.

My other problem is the recent monster attacks. The camp has been attacked by groups of monsters several times over the past three months. We're not sure why, but I spoke to my friend Bobby, son of Minerva and he believes that their testing our strength. I tend to agree with him, but Lupa told us not to worry, that our magic boundary would protect the camp. However, I'm not so sure.

I was broken away from my thoughts by screams and sounds of battle. I looked out across the boundary of camp, but the sounds didn't come from that direction. I turned around and looked into camp. The sight before me made my blood run cold. Several bunkers were in flames and monsters of all shapes and sizes were attacking campers. I willed the winds to carry me into camp as I flipped the coin in my hand. My gold gladius extended into my hand as I landed on the ground. Bobby ran up to me out of breath and covered in monster dust.

"How did they get in?" I asked worriedly. Bobby looked at me gravely.

"No one knows, but there are hundreds of them. We don't stand a chance. Lupa ordered me to find you. We have to abandon the camp, now." Bobby said. I looked at my friend and my only thought was, oh crap.

_**AN: I know not a lot of action in the chapter, but there will be some next chapter, especially for the Romans. Stay tuned everyone.**_


	3. A Ghost and Destruction

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 3: A Ghost and Destruction

_Asgard - In the Desert of Despair - Three days after The Titan's Secret_

**Percy's POV**

I awoke the next morning with the light from the newly risen suns shining in my face, through the entrance of the small cave that I took shelter in last night. I stood up and stretched, I could hear and feel my joints pop as I moved. My back was killing me, sleeping on the hard ground was murder.

I walked out of the cave. I was fully hydrated from the cactus water that I drank last night, but I was starving. I squinted as I looked towards the horizon. The twin suns were barely above the horizon now. I followed them as I made my way toward the direction that my grandfather had instructed.

Thankfully, I didn't run across any more monsters on my trip. I climbed up a small hill until I reached the top. I froze at the sight before me.

Down the bottom of the hill was a great plain with a huge river that snaked its way through it, but that wasn't the surprise. In the center of the plain was a city, unlike any I had seen before, including Olympus and Atlantis. The city was the size of New York with gleaming walls, made of a metal I had never seen before. The metal was blue-grey and it shined in the sunlight, like a beacon. The buildings of the city were all made of the same metal, but some structures had other color tones, such as greens, blues and reds. Several buildings soared several hundred feet into the air. A building in the center looked like a giant spire, it soared above all the others. It was a beautiful gold color and it seemed to glow with power.

I walked down the hill carefully, trying to watch my footing on the slippery rocks and dirt. I made it to the bottom of the hill without falling. The plain stretched out before me and the city looked even larger at this angle. I walked for another couple of miles, until I reached the massive metal walls of the city. I walked up to a great metal double door. The doors towered above me. Just above the top of the gatehouse that held the doors was writing. I had never seen this type of writing before. Instantly, I felt a huge pain in my skull. It felt like a firecracker going off in my brain. My vision blurred and my body felt numb for several minutes. I closed my eyes and tried to remain conscious as I struggled through the pain. Suddenly, the pain stopped and I felt instantly better.

I opened my eyes, and then I stared at the writing again. The words seemed to morph in front of my eyes until they changed into ancient Greek. The writing said, Valhalla. I was shocked; Valhalla was the place where great warriors that died in battle would go after their deaths. The Valkyries would search over battlefields looking through the fallen to find warriors worthy of entry into Valhalla, once found they were transported to the great hall of the city where they would live out their lives as the chosen warriors of Odin.

"Valhalla," I said. The doors began to make noise and then a loud click signaled the doors to open. The great doors opened effortlessly in front of me. I looked through the open doors to see a stone pathway, made of some type of paving stones. Each stone had a Norse rune carved into it.

I walked into the great city and suddenly the massive doors closed quickly behind me. I was a little scared at the moment, but then I looked forward to see the ghostly figure again. He beckoned me forward, so I followed him carefully. I walked through the empty city. There wasn't a sound of anything in the city, no animals, birds, monsters, and certainly, no people. I continued forward until I reached the center of the city. The massive golden spire loomed over me; like a microbe in comparison to the Empire State Building.

I stepped forward and touched a set of golden doors that stood in front of me. The doors slid open immediately at my touch. I walked in slowly, but then I felt myself being pulled further into the building, until I reached the center of the structure. A massive tree stood in the center of the building. The tree was the size of a New York skyscraper and looked incredibly old. The tree glowed with incredible power. I walked up to it carefully and touched it with my right hand. Suddenly, images of past events and the history of the Aesir passed through my mind like a whirlwind. The images finally stopped and I opened my eyes to look around. The tree was gone and in its place was a large building made of wood. It looked like an ancient Viking stronghold from the long ago.

I walked up to the building and touched the large wooden door. I expected it to open on its own, but it stood firm. I placed both of my hands on the door and pushed. The door opened slowly at first, and then it sprang open revealing a large inner chamber. The room was illuminated by dozens of torches and in the center of the room was a massive throne. The throne was empty, but something made me walk toward it. I knelt before the throne, and then I spoke in the ancient Norse language. I didn't have any idea where this knowledge came from, and then it hit me. It was the tree, it gave me this knowledge and somehow my mind knew how to use it. Once I finished my chant the torches flared three feet into the air. I looked toward them and away from the throne. I looked back toward the throne and sitting on it was the ghostly figure, but this time he was larger than life.

The ghostly figure looked the same as before. He wore armor that was similar in color to the outer walls of the city. He was tall, well over six and a half feet. He had blonde hair and a blonde beard. His eyes were a startling sky blue and seemed to swirl like they were made of the wind.

"Who are you?" I asked carefully. The ghostly man looked at me, and then a large smile crossed his lips.

"Welcome to Valhalla my nephew. I've been expecting you." The ghostly man said with a large smile.

"Who are you?" I asked again. The man's smile increased.

"I'm Thor, god of Thunder." Thor said. I froze, here sat the great Thor, the son of Odin and I guess, my uncle.

"Are you my teacher?" I asked.

"Full of questions I see. Yes, I will be your teacher in the ways of the Norse and the Aesir. It is my privilege to train you to fight the evil that is Loki." Thor said. I could tell by the look on his face that he hated Loki.

"What will you teach me?" I asked. Thor's smile grew even bigger, and then he laughed. His laugh was deep and sounded like thunder on rainy spring day.

"I will teach you all that is needed to fulfill your destiny." Thor said.

"Thank you, I guess." I said. Thor laughed again, but then he motioned towards a small door off to the side of the room. The doors opened and in walked two dwarves. They were roughly three feet in height, but they were built like fire plugs. They each had a leather tool belt filled with all sorts of tools and instruments. They wore light chain mail armor. They both had dark brown beards and eyes, they looked like twins.

"Brokkr and Sindri, please see that our guest is fed and has a place to sleep for the evening." Thor said. The two dwarves bowed toward Thor, and then they looked at me curiously.

"My name is Percy, nice to meet you." I said. The two dwarves looked at me warily at first, but then they both gave me warm smiles.

"A pleasure, Master Percy," The one name Brokkr said, as he bowed toward me.

"A pleasure indeed, my lord," Sindri said. I bowed back toward both of them, as a sign of respect. Both of them smiled brightly at my gesture.

"Follow us," Brokkr said. I turned to look back at the throne, but Thor was gone. I hurried after the two dwarves. I was lost in thought as I tried to imagine the type of training I was in for. I guess tomorrow would be a long day.

* * *

><p><em>The Roman Camp – Three and one half months since the end of The Titan's Secret<em>

**Jason's POV**

"No one knows, but there are hundreds of them. We don't stand a chance. Lupa ordered me to find you. We have to abandon the camp, now." Bobby said. I looked at my friend and my only thought was, oh crap. I followed Bobby as we ran to the beach. The ocean waves were tall and the seas were rough this evening. As we reached the shoreline I noticed several people standing around, and then Lupa stalked forward. She had a gash on the top of her large wolf head and she was bleeding with gold ichor. She looked tired and incredibly distraught.

"Jason, thank the gods. Bobby, join the others you did well." Lupa ordered. Bobby obeyed without question. Lupa then turned toward me with a solemn expression on her canine like face.

"Lupa, why are we abandoning camp?" I asked anxiously.

"The damage is done, we cannot hold. Their surprise attack was flawless." Lupa said.

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"These are all the campers that are left." Lupa answered. I looked around and there were only fifteen campers. I recognized a few; I saw Bobby, Gwen, Hazel, Dakota, and Reyna. I looked at Reyna closely and I could tell that she wasn't injured, but she had put up a good fight. I didn't recognize the other nine demigods, so they must have been from lower level legions. I looked around for more of my legion.

"Where is the rest of legion one?" I asked worriedly. Lupa lowered her head in sadness.

"They're dead my child. They died like true Romans, in battle, facing their enemies head on." Lupa said proudly. I looked at her and nodded in understanding.

"Why are we at the beach?" I asked.

"Lord Neptune has agreed to send us transportation. The boundaries of camp are surrounded and it won't be long before the monsters find us here." Lupa said. As if on command ten creatures erupted from the surf. They looked like a cross between a horse and a fish.

"What are they?" I asked. Bobby stepped forward and shook his head at me.

"They're hippocampi, I guess you forgot that lesson, Jason." Bobby stated sarcastically. I gave him the death glare and he backed down. Lupa stepped forward; all of the campers became silent and held their attention toward the giant wolf in front of them.

"Campers, I'm afraid that Camp Rome has fallen. We must evacuate to preserve the legacy of Rome. It is a very sad day, but we are Romans, we shall persevere. Please, board these creatures sent to us by Lord Neptune, himself." Lupa said. All of the camper's sad faces turned into determined ones as they boarded the hippocampi. Lupa began to glow and we all turned away from her. When the light receded, standing in front of us was a woman with amber color eyes and grayish hair. She was very pretty, but she had an animalistic and wild look to her. She wore a silver hunter's outfit that reminded me of the Hunters of Diana.

"Who are you?" I asked. The woman turned toward me and she spoke in a voice I knew all too well. "Lupa," The woman gave me a warm smile.

"Yes child, this is my human form." Lupa said. She boarded the hippocampi nearest me. I looked at her closely, her eyebrows rose in anticipation of my next question.

"Where are we going?" I asked. She looked sad for a moment, and then she gave me a determined look.

"Home, we're going home." Lupa said ominously. Now I was even more confused.

_**AN: The Romans will meet the Greeks in this story, quite soon actually. No one guessed Percy's teacher, so I hope Thor is satisfactory, considering is history with Loki. I took a little liberty with the Norse myths, in order to make Asgard the name of the world, while the city is called Valhalla. In some stories Asgard is the world and the city name, whereas Valhalla is just the name of a great hall in Asgard. More to come, so as always, stay tuned.**_


	4. Powerful Reunions

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

**_AN: I've spoiled you all by updating so fast, but this update is 3,685 words, so enjoy._**

Chapter 4: Powerful Reunions

_City of Valhalla on Asgard- Four days after The Titan's Secret_

**Percy's POV**

The next day I awoke refreshed and ready for my training. I stepped out of the room that the two dwarves gave me yesterday. The rooms off of the main hall of Valhalla were pretty spooky considering that the only other people alive in this building were the two dwarves. I stepped out of my room and walked toward the main hall. I entered the hall and there sat Thor on his throne. He gave me a warm smile as I entered. He motioned for me to approach his throne. I walked toward him, and then I bowed in front of his throne.

"You may stand Percy." Thor said. I stood up and looked at the ghostly figure of my uncle. "You're first step in training is a test of your body. We Aesir rely on two things in battle; the strength of mind and body, and the power of our weapons. On Midgard the mortals talk about science and magic. The humans of today believe that science explains everything that happens in the universe. In the past humans believed that magic explained all. Here on Asgard, magic and science are one in the same." Thor stated. I was stunned; this was different than how Athena explained the powers of Olympus.

"The individual strength and power of an Aesir stems from two sources. The first is the power of the mind and body. The second is the power of your weapon. The mind and body have power based on magic and on genetics, while our weapons are a combination of science and magic." Thor explained. I listened intently as my uncle discussed the sources of Norse power.

"Unlike the Olympians that do not have DNA or genes; you my boy have the blood of the Aesir running through your veins. The power within you must be awakened and that is where magic comes into play. The way the Norse use magic is through the use of runes. These symbols of the Norse are our language and the source of magic within our different realms of existence." Thor said.

"How will runes unlock the power of the Aesir within my blood?" I asked curiously.

"The runes must become a part of your body. Therefore, they are typically tattooed on special areas within your body. Typically, these four areas align with directional equivalents. The first on your chest represents the realm of your birth, which is Midgard; the second is on your back, which represents the birthplace of your parent, in this case Asgard. The third is on your right shoulder, which represents the source of godly power, which for you is Odin. Lastly, the final rune is on your left shoulder, which represents your teacher, in your case that is me." Thor said.

"How do you create these tattoos?" I asked worriedly.

"With magic, of course," Thor said. Thor's eyes glowed, and then a powerful blast of energy enveloped me and I could feel heat on my shoulders, chest and back. After a few minutes the power subsided and a mirror appeared in front of me. I looked at myself in the mirror; the four runes were located as Thor had discussed. The runes were written in black ink, but the tattoos didn't hurt, they almost felt like they had always been there, only hidden under the surface of my skin. Thor began to chant in the Norse runic language. The runes on my body began to glow. A green aura extended from the runes and encircled my body. I felt my blood boiling, as if an unknown power had been awakened within my cells. The process seemed to last for hours. I finally fell to my knees as my vision blurred.

I awoke a few moments later still on my knees in front of Thor's throne. "The sleeping warrior awakens." Thor stated with amusement in his voice. "How do you feel?" I had to think about that. My body felt lighter, but heavier at the same time. The mirror was still located in front of me. I looked into the mirror and the first thing that I noticed was that my face had become more angular and my body more muscled. I didn't look like an Olympic swimmer anymore. Instead, I looked like a linebacker on football team. I had large muscles, but not like a body builder. I could feel that my strength had increased tenfold. I looked taller, I had to be six feet two inches now and I knew I was still too young to stop growing, so my ultimate adult height was still unknown. My skin was a darker tan, almost like a bronze color. My dark black hair was longer than before.

I looked towards my uncle and I could see the large smile on his face. "Now the true Percy has awakened." He stated.

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"I mean that now your Asgardian side as awaken. You now are truly a child of both worlds, Olympus and Asgard." Thor said. I nodded in understanding.

"What are my Asgardian powers?" I asked. Thor smiled knowingly.

"Of course your physical abilities have increased such as strength, stamina, speed, agility, and senses." Thor said.

"Do I get other special abilities?" I asked. Thor's smile widened at this question.

"Yes, but each person has a different special ability, only time will reveal this ability." Thor said. I nodded trying to understand his answer.

"What do we do now?" I asked. Thor's face took on a more serious look.

"We test the limits of your new abilities." Thor said.

"How?" I asked.

"By training and physical activity," Thor said.

"What kind of training and activity?" I asked. Thor gave me a devious smile.

"You'll see," He said. I visibly gulped at the tone of his voice and his devious smile. Thor snapped his fingers and immediately Brokkr and Sindri walked into the main hall. They each carried a large stone that was covered in Runes. They walked up to Thor and sat the stone at his feet. Thor began to chant in the language of the Norse. The two large stones began to glow, and then they began to morph into two large stone warriors. They wore metal armor, but their bodies were made of a grey stone. Their eyes glowed red and seemed to pulse as they looked at me.

"These are your sparring partners, my boy." Thor said. I pulled out Riptide, and then I began to turn the ring on my right hand. Thor raised his hand and glared at me.

"No weapons, please give them to Brokkr and Sindri." Thor said. I looked at him warily, and then his eyes flashed at me in warning. I gave Riptide and my axe to Brokkr, and then I gave my shield to Sindri.

"I'm fighting them hand to hand?" I asked. Thor smiled and looked at me with an amused smirk.

"You're fighting hand to hand; they get use those." Thor said. Suddenly, a large battle axe appeared in the hands of each stone warrior.

"How's that fair?" I asked.

"You are Aesir, this is how we train. You must learn the powers of the body before you learn of the powers of magic and weapons." Thor said. I nodded reluctantly as I looked at the two large menacing stone warriors. "Now begin," The two warriors walked towards me swinging their battle axes.

I dove out of the way of one strike as the blade of the axe embedded itself in the stone floor of the great hall. The second warrior ran forward at an incredible speed. It slashed at me with the axe; I was just able to slide out of the way.

"Use your abilities Percy. You Asgardian abilities have been activated." Thor said. I watched as the first stone warrior struggled trying to remove his axe from the stone floor. The second warrior charged again. He swung his axe toward me at incredible speed. I thought for sure I would be dead, but the strike never came. I looked up and both of my hands were on each side of the blade holding its weight above me. How was I doing that? I could feel my body using strength I never knew I had before. The second warrior spun the axe out of my grip, but I somersaulted out of the way before he could slice me open.

"Percy, you can feel the strength and speed within you. You can use them to your advantage. This is your legacy as an Aesir." Thor said. The second warrior ran toward me again and swung his axe at my head. My hands moved instinctively as they again held the sides of the blade away from me. My eyes widened as images of battle flashed through my mind, and then I knew what to do. The second warrior spun his axe again, but instead of somersaulting out of the way, I moved with the spin allowing the momentum to carry me towards the warrior. My hands slipped off the axe, but my body moved under the strike and toward the warrior's chest. I used both hands to push against the warrior's chest. The push was so powerful that the second warrior dropped his axe as he flew across the great hall, and then he crashed into the large wooden door.

I looked at my hands in wonder just as the first warrior's blade moved towards me. I moved with such speed that I actually struck the side of the axe blade forcing it out of the warrior's hand. The axe hit the floor, and then slid across the room. The stone warrior threw a punch toward me, but instead of deflecting or dodging the strike I caught it with my right hand. The warrior threw his left hand toward me and I caught that strike with my left hand as well. The two of us were locked into a battle of strength. The stone warrior was incredibly strong, but for some reason I held my own. I could sense the stress on the stone warrior as his stony limbs began to crack. I twisted my body and then my wrists as I broke the warrior's arms off under my grasp. The warrior stood in front me looking at me warily. I threw a punch toward the chest of the warrior. My fist went straight through the stone chest of the creature. The warrior broke into a hundred pieces as it collapsed on the floor.

My senses picked up movement behind me. I turned to see the last stone warrior running toward me. I completed a spin kick with such precision and speed my foot landed in the middle of the warrior's abdomen. The force of the kick was so great that the stone warrior exploded into dust. I turned around to look at Thor. He sat on his throne with a look of admiration on his face.

"Congratulations my boy, you've completed the first step in unlocking your Asgardian powers." Thor said with a wry smile.

* * *

><p><em>Camp Half Blood – Almost four months since the end of The Titan's Secret<em>

**Thalia's POV**

I arrived back at camp yesterday and today Annie would arrive from San Francisco. I sat under my pine tree with Peleus the dragon lying next to me. The dragon always liked me; I guess it could sense my connection to the pine tree that he protected. The Golden Fleece shined in the late morning sun. I looked down the hill and across the barrier that protected camp. Monster attacks had subsided over the past few months, as if the monsters had decided to consolidate their forces for an attack. Chiron had ordered border patrols and we had sent out satyrs to explore our surroundings, as an early warning system against a concentrated monster attack.

Movement across the boundary caught my attention. I looked down the hill and saw one of the camp vans pull up to the boundary. I watched as a familiar looking blonde girl stepped out of the vehicle. Annabeth was now just an inch or two under six feet and her blonde curls were clearly visible even thought her hair was tied up in a pony tail. I stood up and waited for my old friend, until she crossed the boundary. When she saw me, she raced towards the tree making Peleus stand up nervously.

"Peleus, it's ok boy," I said, as I patted his head. He immediately sat back down and watched Annabeth intently. Annabeth approached carefully, until she engulfed me in a hug. I heard Peleus sigh as he curled himself around the pine tree, and then drifted off into a pleasant slumber.

Annabeth and I separated, she gave me a happy smile, but I could tell that it was forced.

"How've you been Thals?" Annabeth asked. I looked at her, and then I shrugged my shoulders.

"Ok, I guess, it's been pretty lonely for me on Olympus." I said. Annabeth nodded in understanding. "How is California?"

"Fine, school was good and I'm getting along with my family." She answered.

"Have you spoken to your mother lately?" I asked.

"No, she's been pretty busy from what I've heard." Annabeth conceded. I knew she meant Athena's search for any signs of Percy still being alive.

"How's Lady Hera?" Annabeth asked.

"Pretty sad still, but we've been helping each other cope." I said.

Suddenly, the conch horn sounded, it was the signal for danger and it was coming from the beach by the ocean. "Let's go," I yelled as Annabeth dropped her bag and the two of us ran toward the big house. We were joined by Luke, Malcolm, Clarisse, Nico, Bianca, and Tyson as we ran passed the big house. We stopped at the edge of the beach and froze at the sight before us. Resting in the shallow water of the beach were ten Hippocampi, but that wasn't the strange part. The strange thing was the passengers that were dismounting from them. They were clearly demigods, about fifteen of them with a woman that looked like a hunter of Artemis in front of them. Chiron, Mr. D and Ares were on the beach with the rest of the camp armed to the teeth, in case a fight broke out. Annabeth and the rest of us walked up behind Chiron as we stared at the demigods. They were dressed in purple shirts and held weapons of different varieties in their hands. Chiron motioned for Annabeth, Luke and I to step forward to join him. The two gods flanked Chiron on each side.

The woman in the hunter's outfit stepped forward. She approached us carefully. She had the aura of a wild beast about her. She stepped within a few feet of Chiron; she had a determined look on her face.

"It has been a long time Chiron." She said. Chiron stared at her in disbelief.

"Lupa, why are you here?" Chiron asked warily. Lupa looked at him curiously, and then she stared at the two gods beside him.

"Lord Bacchus and Lord Mars, a pleasure as always," She said. That confused me; she just called them by their Roman names. Dionysus and Ares both bowed their heads.

"Here we're known as Dionysus and Mars, my dear Lupa." Dionysus said. He was actually polite to her. The woman smiled at them and for the first time I noticed the large canine teeth that she had. Who is this woman?

"Lupa, you didn't answer my question. Why are you all here?" Chiron asked again. Lupa sighed, and then she looked at Chiron sadly.

"We have returned because our camp was destroyed by monsters yesterday." Lupa said. Chiron's face paled and so did Mr. D's and Ares's.

"How did they get through the boundary?" Chiron asked, still in shock.

"We have no idea, but we came to warn you and to ask for asylum." Lupa stated. Chiron looked at her carefully, and then he looked toward the two gods next to him. Ares and Mr. D both nodded.

"Thank you for the warning, my old friend. You and your students are welcome here at Camp Half Blood. I'm afraid that your old bunkers will need quite a lot of repair before they are habitable again. Your students will have to stay with their Greek siblings for the time being." Chiron stated. When he said Greek siblings, the demigods in the purple shirts began whispering intensely.

"Thank you Chiron, my students will be on their best behavior." Lupa said, as she glared at her students. All the purple shirted demigods stopped talking instantly, as she glared at them.

"Will you introduce your students to my campers?" Chiron asked politely. Lupa smiled again exposing those large canine teeth.

"Legion one step forward," Lupa ordered. Six demigods stepped forward led by a blonde boy and a blonde girl. The boy looked familiar, but I wasn't sure.

"This is Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and Praetor of Legion One." Lupa said, as she pointed to the blonde boy. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

"Jason," I said loudly. Everyone stopped as they looked at me carefully. Annabeth and Luke both gave me a concerned stare. When I made eye contact with Jason, his eyes grew wide. "Jason, you don't recognize your own sister?" His eyes grew even bigger when I said that. "It's me, Thalia Grace." Jason stepped forward and I did as well. We walked toward each other carefully, until we stood only a foot apart.

"Thalia," He said, as tears streamed down his face. I could feel my own tears as I looked at him in wonder. We both jumped into each other's arms and cried. Everyone on both sides was completely stunned. We finally broke apart after a few minutes. Lupa and Chiron both stepped next to us.

I looked at Chiron as I wiped my tears. "Jason is my brother; he disappeared when he was two years old. Our mother began to drink after he disappeared." I said. Lupa stepped forward.

"I found him in the wolf house when he was two. His father is Jupiter, the Roman version of Zeus." Lupa said.

"My father is Zeus." I stated. Lupa and Chiron both looked at each other wide eyed.

"One sibling with the Roman version of the godly parent and the other sibling with the Greek version, incredible," Chiron said, as Lupa nodded in agreement. "Malcolm, Travis and Connor, please take our Roman guests to their applicable cabin and make sure they are treated well." The three boys walked up to the Romans demigods carefully and motioned for them to follow.

"Chiron, I would like Legion One to join us with your counselors in a meeting." Lupa stated.

"Agreed," Chiron turned toward his campers. "All counselors report to the recreation room in the big house." All of the counselors began to walk to the big house, I could hear them whispering to each other as we walked. I stayed back with Jason and held onto his shoulder. The blonde girl that I saw next to Jason earlier stepped forward and extended her hand.

"I'm Reyna, daughter of Apollo; it is a pleasure to meet Jason's sister, even if she's a Greek." Reyna said. She said Greek with some trepidation, but I could tell that she held no malice toward me. I took her hand gladly.

"Any friend of my brother's is a friend of mine." I said. I walked with Reyna and Jason to the big house. Today was certainly a weird day, but for the first time since Percy's death I didn't feel quite so alone.

_**AN: Thalia and Jason are reunited, but how will the Greeks and Romans get along? Percy is beginning to find his Asgardian powers, but what special power will he find and will he receive a new weapon to enhance his powers? Good questions that will be revealed in the next few chapters. For those who need a clarification, Percy is not dead. He is trapped on Asgard for the moment. Although most people back on Earth believe he is dead. Thor is teaching him about his Asgardian powers. The next chapter will see the timeline on Asgard become closer in line to the timeline back at camp. The events in camp will lead to a new and dangerous quest. Percy will not return to camp till much later in the story, but major events will occur on Asgard that will be instrumental to the conclusion of this story, so please hold on and as always, stay tuned.**_


	5. Powers and Prophecy

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 5: Powers and Prophecy

_City of Valhalla on Asgard- Three months after The Titan's Secret_

**Percy's POV**

I ran through the dark tunnel just as an axe flew toward my head, I spun to the left just as the blade passed by my head. The blade dug deep into the stone wall behind me. I didn't have time to breathe as the floor of the tunnel began to break apart until a twenty foot gap stood between me and the other side of the tunnel. I looked behind me and the floor of the tunnel had collapsed as well. I remembered my training of the last three months and the new power that flowed through me. I looked toward the other side of the tunnel, and then I jumped from a standing position and landed on the other side of the gap. I had just jumped over twenty feet without a running start.

I could see the door on the other side of the tunnel. I walked towards the exit just as the room began to shake. The ceiling of the tunnel dropped, I lifted my hands above my head instinctively. I caught the stone ceiling above me as it's weight pressed down upon me. The stone ceiling had to weigh hundreds of pounds, but I lifted it easily. The ground shook around me again and more stones from above me fell onto the stone ceiling I was already holding. The weight pressed down upon me and I fell to my knees in pain.

Have you ever heard of the berserker rage? A voiced said to me.

"Why are y-you asking m-me now?" I asked, as my muscles burned under the incredible weight that I held over my head. The weight was more than holding the sky, I didn't know how, but it was.

The berserker rage was the greatest power of Norse warriors. They focused their anger and used it to harness great power. This allowed them to defeat foes and perform tasks beyond any normal man's ability. You as a child of Aesir possess this ability as well. Thor said.

"How do I do that?" I asked.

You have to get angry, think of something that makes you mad. You must unleash your anger, and then use that power to fuel your strength. Good luck, nephew. Thor said.

I had to think of something that made me angry. I thought of my mother's death and the fact that Athena knew that she could have died, but that didn't make me angry anymore. I had forgiven Athena and now I know that my mother gave her life, so I could be born. She knew what she was getting into.

I thought about Poseidon and the fact that he was never there for me when I was growing up. I thought about how he disowned me after I brought back the weapons of the eldest gods during my first quest. I held such incredible anger toward him, but now that was gone. We had settled our problems during my second quest and now I thought of him as a friend and teacher, if not a father figure.

I tried hard to find something to cause me anger, and then I remembered. I remembered when I entered the black fortress to save Athena, Artemis and Annabeth. Annabeth, her name brought back so many good memories, but then I remembered the fortress. When I broke open the doors to the throne room I saw Annabeth in the arms of Luke. Luke, I knew she had a crush on him at one time, but I thought that ended. I was such an idiot to believe that she would love me. How could she love a freak like me? Instead, she loved a traitor, someone who tried to kill me. She betrayed my loyalty and my love. I'm sure she got a good laugh out of the letter I left for her. I'm such a trusting fool. Athena was right, my loyalty would hurt me sometime. I felt so angry at Luke, at Annabeth and mostly at myself. The anger made my head hurt. I felt such anger, more than I had ever felt before. I felt dizzy; there was so much power within me. I never felt so much anger nor so much power before, and then I felt an explosion of light. My sight was blinded at first, but then I opened my eyes. I looked over my head to see the ceiling and all that weight floating over my head in mid air. I walked through the door at the end of the tunnel, as I stepped through the tunnel everything that was behind me disappeared.

"Very good my nephew. You have discovered your hidden power." Thor said. I was back in the great hall with Thor on his throne.

"What power?" I asked.

"Your mind my boy, you have the ability to move things with your mind. Your mind is truly powerful. You will never be able to lift objects as strong as that ceiling again, but you will be able to move objects and create energy shields with your mind. You must be careful using this ability as it will distract you from other actions and can weaken you in mind and body, if over used." Thor said. I looked at the ghostly image of my uncle in awe. My mind had that power. All of my abilities were revealed now.

"When will I learn how to return to Midgard?" I asked.

"The last part of your training deals with your weapon." Thor said.

"I already have weapons, why do I need more?" I asked. Thor began to laugh.

"This weapon will merge the power and magics of both Asgard and Olympus. With this weapon you will be able to defeat Loki, even if he merges with Kronos." Thor said. I sighed understanding that my uncle was right, such a weapon could be all the difference.

"What do I need to do?" I asked.

* * *

><p><em>Camp Half Blood – Almost four months since the end of The Titan's Secret<em>

**Thalia's POV**

"Any friend of my brother's is a friend of mine." I said. I walked with Reyna and Jason to the big house. Today was certainly a weird day, but for the first time since Percy's death I didn't feel quite so alone. We entered the big house and then walked into the recreation room. We sat around the table. The counselors of the Greek demigods were there around the table. I smiled at Tyson, he was also here. We made our introductions around the table. The Greeks all introduced themselves, and then it was the first legions turn.

"My name is Bobby Stewart, son of Minerva." Bobby said. He was a blonde boy with grey eyes, he could have been Malcolm's twin.

"My name is Hazel Williams, daughter of Demeter." Hazel said, she had brown hair and bright green eyes.

"My name is Gwendolyn Summers, daughter of Venus, but everyone calls me Gwen." Gwen said, she was definitely an unusual daughter of the love goddess. Her hair was cut a lot like mine and she wore dark grey clothes. The only way I could tell that she was the love goddess's child was that she was beautiful and she wore makeup, but not too much.

"My name is Dakota Simmons, son of Mars, my friends call me Kota." Kota said, he was tall, about six feet two inches. He had dark black hair and deep brown eyes that flashed with a reddish glow. He definitely looked like a child of Mars or Ares.

"My name is Reyna Lightner, daughter of Apollo" Reyna said, her blue eyes shining in the light of the room.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Chiron said.

"Yes, it is." Lupa agreed.

"Lupa, please let us know what happened at Camp Rome." Chiron said.

"We don't know how they were able to get through our magical boundary, but they did. They just appeared in camp and began to kill and destroy." Lupa said.

"Who were they?" Chiron asked.

"Monsters, hundreds of them, most likely the entire titan army." Dakota said.

"We did everything we could, but they were too powerful. Before we could order a withdrawal they killed most of the campers." Reyna said sadly.

"Our only hope was to withdrawal to the sea, Lord Neptune helped us escape. We needed to come here and warn you. I know this goes against the ancient oath to the keep the Romans and Greeks apart, but we had to come. We need to find out how they destroyed our camp before they come here and destroy this camp. Our oracle was killed in the attack, we will have to ask yours." Lupa said.

"Thank you Lupa, since our oracle is Greek, a Greek demigod must ask for the prophecy." Chiron said. Annabeth raised her hand before Chiron could even ask for volunteers. Luke and I watched her closely.

"Yes, Annabeth?" Chiron asked.

"Chiron, I volunteer for the quest and to get the prophecy." Annabeth said. I knew she would do something like this, she's going to get herself killed.

"Chiron, you can't let her do this." I stated. Annabeth gave me the death glare, but I shrugged it off.

"Stay out of this Thals." Annabeth said venomously. Chiron looked at Annabeth dangerously.

"Why do you want this quest?" Chiron asked.

"I want to help camp and I don't want the titans to win." Annabeth stated.

"You're sure those are the only reasons?" Chiron asked.

"Yes sir, I'm not suicidal." Annabeth said.

"Very well, go to the attic and ask the oracle." Chiron said. Annabeth smiled, and then she stood up and walked upstairs to the attic.

Jason leaned over to me and I knew he wanted to ask me a question. Reyna leaned forward as well. "Why did you do that?" Jason asked.

"A very good friend of hers died a few months ago at the hands of the titans and their allies. She was very close to him and so was I." I stated sadly.

"Who was he?" Jason asked.

"He was my brother." I said. Jason's eyes widened.

"Your brother?" Jason asked.

"Yes, my adoptive brother. His name was Percy Jackson. Hera and Zeus adopted him, he's the one that freed me from the tree I was in." I said, Jason's eyes widened when I talked about the tree, so I explained everything.

"So, Hera and Zeus adopted Percy, and Hera adopted you." Jason stated.

"Yes, Percy was very special. His birth father was Poseidon, but the night he was conceived Athena conjured a spell that gave Poseidon all the powers of the eldest Olympians for that night. Percy had the powers of all the eldest Olympians and he was raised on Olympus with Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Hestia and Athena. Everyone called him the Champion of Olympus. He was supposed to be the child of the great prophecy." I said. Jason's eyes were so big now that I thought they might pop out of their sockets.

"Close your mouth Jason." Reyna said, as she elbowed my brother. I had to laugh at his stupid face. "Back to Annabeth and Percy; did she love him?" I sighed, and then I looked at my brother and at Reyna.

"Yes, I believe she loved him and I'm sure he loved her too." I said. Jason and Reyna both nodded sadly.

"You cared for him a lot, too?" Jason asked.

"He was my big brother and he was the best." I said. Jason lowered his head sadly. "I wish you could have met him Jason, he would have loved to have another little brother."

"Another?" Jason asked.

"Yes, Tyson is his brother as well." I said. We heard footsteps and everyone turned to see Annabeth walk back into the recreation room. Annabeth's face was pale and she looked scared.

"My child, what is the prophecy?" Chiron asked. Annabeth sighed, and then she cleared her throat and said,

_The endless maze of death holds the threat and salvation_

_The wise one and the children of the three shall leave without hesitation_

_The fiery mortal and the son of nature will be discovered_

_Evil shall merge, and the lost one shall be uncovered_

_The child of Athena shall choose a path_

_Destruction and hope with a hero's final breath_

_And a love shall return from certain death_

The room was quiet when Annabeth finished the prophecy. Lupa stood and looked towards Chiron.

"The first line is clear, the enemy used the labyrinth to invade Camp Rome." Lupa stated. Everyone in the room began to talk and argue. "Quiet," Lupa yelled as she motioned towards Chiron.

"Annabeth, it appears that you and the children of the big three shall go on this quest. You must find Daedalus and persuade him to seal the labyrinth. Everyone else go to your cabins. Annabeth, Thalia, Jason, Nico, Bianca and Tyson, please stay." Chiron said. Everyone gave a quick nod as they left the big house, they all had worried expressions on their faces. "Grover, why are you still here?"

"I'm not a demigod, so I don't really count against the prophecy, I would like to assist." Grover said, Annabeth, Tyson, Nico and Bianca all gave him a hopeful smile.

"A faun, I mean satyr could be of great assistance on this quest." Lupa said.

"I agree, Grover shall join the quest." Chiron said. We all smiled at our friend.

"Chiron, when do we leave?" I asked. Chiron looked toward Lupa.

"My child, you all will leave tomorrow." Lupa stated.

_**AN: Sorry for the delay, I've been sick the last few days, but I'm feeling better. More to come, so stay tuned.**_


	6. A Weapon, a Mortal, and a Mission

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 6: A Weapon, a Mortal, and a Mission

_City of Valhalla on Asgard- Almost four months since the end of The Titan's Secret_

**Percy's POV**

"What do I need to do?" I asked.

"You must go to my temple here in Valhalla." Thor stated.

"Why your temple?" I asked curiously. Thor looked at me, and then he gave me a knowing smile.

"It's destiny, my boy, my two friends here will take you." Thor said, as he gestured toward the two dwarves.

"Follow us, my lord." Brokkr said, as Sindri stood beside him gesturing for me to follow them. I followed the two dwarves out of the great hall as we made our way to the center of the city. Valhalla was a beautiful place, but it was so eerily quiet now. I could only imagine what it was like back when it was bustling with activity. After walking through the city we approached a simple wooden structure, it wasn't ornate, it was a simple looking log cabin like structure with Thor's emblem above the door, a hammer.

Sindri pointed to the symbol and said, "Mjolnir,"

"That means crusher in the Norse language." I said.

"Yes, my lord, it was the greatest weapon of the Asgard, but alas it was destroyed in Thor's last battle with the Midgard Serpent." Brokkr said. I nodded, Thor was the only being ever to kill that creature, but in the end it killed him as well. My fight with the serpent ended in victory, only because I tricked it. I pushed open the doors to the temple, immediately several torches illuminated the sparse interior. I looked back at Sindri and Brokkr; they made no attempt to follow me.

"Are you two coming?" I asked curiously.

"No, my lord, only one who is worthy can enter the temple and retrieve the hammer." Sindri said. Brokkr nodded in agreement. I walked into the temple and immediately the doors closed behind me. I turned around, and then I noticed that the doors were locked, I was trapped inside. I sighed loudly, and then I turned back toward the interior of the temple. My eyes adjusted to the dim light and I was able to see clearly, another physical advantage of being a child of the Aesir. My Olympian powers wouldn't work on Asgard because I was cut off from the magics of Olympus, but here I had other advantages. My arrival on Asgard had unleashed my physical abilities, the ones I inherited from my mother. The power of the Aesir, the genetic abilities that all Aesir possess.

The inside of the temple was empty, except for a stone altar at the far end of the temple. I walked to it carefully making sure to look out for traps. I reached the steps that would lead me to the altar, but something didn't feel right. I picked a rock off the ground and tossed it toward the altar. The rock moved through the air, but it suddenly exploded as it struck some type of energy barrier. How was I supposed to get passed that? Only the worthy may pass and retrieve the hammer, thats what Sindri had told me. Here's hoping that the force field thought I was worthy. I walked forward and I could feel the energy emanating from the force field, it made the hairs on my arm stand on end. I stopped short of the force field and extended my hand. If this didn't work my hand would be fried, well heres nothing. I touched the field and my hand went completely through it unscathed. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. I stepped the rest of the way through the force field and walked up the steps to the altar.

On the altar was a dark wooden box with a metal lid. I opened the box and looked inside. In the bottom of the box was the remnants of Thor's hammer. The handle of the hammer was gone. All that was left was the metal head of the hammer and it was broken into two pieces. I reached into the box and grabbed the pieces. I could feel the power that the two pieces of metal held within them. I stepped down from the altar and walked out of the temple. Brokkr and Sindri stared at me expectantly. I held the two pieces of the hammer in the air and the two dwarves looked at them like they were an old friend. Brokkr stepped forward and raised his hands toward me.

"My lord, my brother and I will take these pieces and forge a new weapon worthy of the last son of the Aesir." Brokkr said. I handed him the pieces and he placed them carefully into a leather pouch that he held on his belt. Sindri and Brokkr turned and walked away, I followed them back toward the great hall wondering what the new weapon would look like.

"What about my sword, axe and shield?" I asked.

"I'm afraid the metal within them is needed to make Mjolnir." Sindri said. I was shocked that I would really lose my weapons. They were like a part of me, but I knew that Mjolnir was needed again.

"I understand." I said. The two dwarves continued their way to the great hall. I hope all of this will be worth it in the end.

* * *

><p><em>Camp Half Blood – Almost four months since the end of The Titan's Secret<em>

**Thalia's POV**

Jason and I awoke the next morning. It was so good to have my little brother, well, not so little brother back with me. We both got ready and left for the big house to meet the others. When we arrived I saw Annabeth; she looked very tired. I assumed that she was up all night planning for the quest. I noticed Nico, Bianca, Tyson and Grover there as well. We all sat down and waited for Chiron and Lupa to arrive. Chiron rolled into the room in his wheel chair followed by a very large wolf, that had to be Lupa.

"Good morning children." Chiron said.

"Good morning sir." Everyone said in return.

"Children, we must discuss the destination of your quest." Lupa stated.

"You mean the labyrinth?" Annabeth asked. Lupa nodded her large wolf head in agreement.

"How do we find the entrance to the labyrinth?" I asked.

"The delta symbol (triangle) was always used by Daedalus the creator of the maze to mark the entrances. We can assume that there is one here at camp, but it must be well hidden." Chiron said, but that didn't help us any.

"That doesn't help us any." Jason said. Stating my thoughts exactly.

"What about the remains of the Roman camp, if the enemy used the labyrinth to get into the camp, then maybe its entrance and symbol would be easy to find." Annabeth stated. Chiron and Lupa both looked at her, and then they smiled.

"An analysis worthy of your mother, my child." Chiron said. Annabeth gave him a small smile.

"Yes, but I'm afraid that without someone with clear sight we won't be able to find it. If our oracle was still alive she could help us." Lupa said.

"Our oracle is not really alive, so she cannot join the quest." Chiron stated.

"What about a clear sighted mortal?" I asked. Everyone turned and looked at me. "When we were on the quest to rescue Artermis, Athena and Annabeth, we met a teenage girl who could see the through mist, easily. Zoe told me about her on the way to the ocean to find Nereus."

"That's right, I remember hearing about that from Zoe as well." Bianca said.

"Thals, do you remember her name?" Annabeth asked. I racked my brain trying to remember.

"How can we dare take a mortal on this quest, it would be suicide for them?" Jason asked incredulously. That's it!

"Dare, Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I stated. Everyone looked at me again.

"I've heard of her, she's the daughter of a billionaire real-estate tycoon in New York." Annabeth said. We all looked at her strangely. "Hey, he builds skyscrapers, you all know I want to be an architect." Nico, Grover, Bianca and I all smiled at her.

"So, we need to find this mortal girl who can see through the mist and have her find the entrance in our destroyed camp?" Jason asked.

"Yes, child, but you will have to take her with you as well." Lupa said.

"What? We can't take a mortal into the labyrinth, its too dangerous." I said.

"Thalia, Lupa is correct, you will need a clear sighted mortal to navigate the great maze." Chiron said.

"Where do we find this mortal girl?" Nico asked.

"Easy, she lives with her parents in Dare Tower in Manhattan. I believe she has her own apartment in the rooftop penthouse." Annabeth said. "Chiron, when do we leave?"

" I have eight plane tickets for all of you to leave this afternoon. You must find and persuade this girl to accompany you this morning." Chiron said, as he looked at his watch. "You have five hours to get the girl and reach the airport." We all nodded in understanding. We all grabbed our stuff and rushed toward the camp boundary. I saw Luke waiting for us by my tree. Annabeth and I walked up to meet him.

"I wish I was going with you." Luke said. He looked sad and worried.

"I wish you were coming too." Annabeth said. She gave him a hug as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. I stepped forward and Luke looked a little nervous.

"I know we didn't talk much after we got back from California." I started.

"I know, Thalia don't worry, we could never work out together. I'm nearly twenty and you haven't turned fourteen yet. I'll always love you like a sister." Luke said. I gave him a hug and I could feel the tears leaking from his eyes on my shirt.

"I love you too, big brother." I said. Luke knew it was hard for me to say that. I only called Percy my big brother, but it felt right to call Luke that.

"I love both of my little sisters." He said, as he smiled at both of us. The scar on his face didn't stand out like it did when he held the anger toward his father inside. Luke was back to the boy I knew when we traveled to camp together.

"We love you too, take care and protect camp until we return." I said, as Annabeth and I continued down the hill to the camp van. I just hope we can persuade this mortal to help us.

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere in the western United States<em>

**Athena's POV**

I've been traveling with my sister and her hunters for the passed few weeks. The hunters now number around fifteen and I knew Artemis was sacrificing recruitment to help in my search. I saw a light on in Artermis's tent, so I walked inside.

"Athena, can I help you?" Artemis asked, as she motioned for me to sit.

"I just wanted to thank you." I said. Artemis looked at me curiously.

"Thank me for what?" Artemis asked.

"For playing along with my hunch about Percy still being alive." I said. Artemis sat up on the edge of her seat and looked at me scoldingly.

"I'm not playing along my sister; I believe that Perseus is still alive as well." Artemis said.

"Why do you, when everyone else believes that he is dead?" I asked curiously.

"I believe in you and if you say he's alive then he's alive." Artemis said. I was proud of my little sister and happy that she believed in me so much.

Suddenly, a bright globe of light entered through the ceiling of the room and hovered in front of Artemis and I about four feet off the ground.

"What is it?" Artemis asked. I looked at it closely, but I didn't recognize this power or magic.

"I have no idea." I said. Suddenly, the light dissolved until the center of the globe of light showed an image. A ghostly figure sat on a large throne. He had blonde hair and beard, his eyes were a sky blue color that seemed to glow with power. Another figure walked in, this person was not a ghost, but a young man. He was over six feet in height and he wore blue jeans and a blue shirt. He had messy black hair that reached his shoulders and his skin had a slight tan. I couldn't see the young man's face, but his body was very muscled and he had an aura of power about him. Artemis and I stayed quiet, so we could listen to their conversation.

"Uncle, Brokkr and Sindri have the remnants of the weapon. They are working to reforge it." The young man said. The ghostly figure gave him a warm smile.

"You know you can call me Thor, my nephew." Thor said. At the name I saw Artemis's eyes grow wide.

"Yes, un ... I mean Thor." The young man said.

"Once the weapon is forged, I will be able to train you to use its magic." Thor said.

"Will this allow me to return home?" The young man asked excitedly.

"Yes and no; you see the weapon is needed, but the Eye of Odin must be found by our allies and brought to a safe place. I wouldn't want you to appear in the midst of our enemies." Thor said. The young man nodded in understanding.

"The Eye is on Midgard; how do we ensure that our allies find it and bring it to a safe place?" The young man asked. Thor looked behind the young man and directly at Artemis and I through the image globe.

"We send a message to our allies, my boy." Thor said, as he pointed toward us. The young man turned, Artemis and I both looked at him in shock. Tears began to flow down our cheeks as we looked at our little brother, alive and well.

"Percy?" I asked, hoping this was real. His green eyes glowed with such power and joy, his lips turned into his crooked smile. Artemis and I both looked at him happily.

"Athena, Artemis ... its so good to see both of you." Percy said happily. I could see a lone tear flow down his cheek.

"Where are you?" Artemis asked.

"I'm on Asgard." Percy answered.

"How ... how did you survive?" I asked. Thor cleared his throat. Artemis and I looked at him closely.

"Lady Athena and Lady Artemis, it is so good to see both of you again. Percy is more than a Greek demigod and your champion. His mother Sally's real name was Skjalf, she was a Valkyrie and a daughter of Odin." Thor said. Artemis and I both stared at him, and then back at Percy in awe. "Yes, Perseus is the last son of Asgard and the legacy of the Aesir." Artemis and I both smiled as we finally took in everything that we were told.

"That's how you survived the transport." I stated. Percy and Thor both nodded in agreement. The image began to flicker, Thor looked at both of us carefully.

"My ladies, you must acquire the Eye of Odin from the titans. I know this is a dangerous task, but it is Percy's destiny to fight the unified form of Loki and Kronos, only he has the power and weapons to fight that monstrosity." Thor said. Artermis and I both nodded in understanding.

"How long do we have?" I asked.

"You have until noon on the day after the summer solstice. Percy will be ready to return at high noon." Thor stated confidently.

"We will be ready by then, I promise." I said, as Artemis nodded in agreement next to me.

"Percy, thank you," Artemis said. Percy looked at her curiously.

"For what?" He asked.

"For saving all of us, you are truly the greatest of heroes." Artemis said, as Percy's cheeks turned red.

"He's modest too." Thor said, as he smiled at his nephew.

"Percy, we all love you, come back to us." I said. Percy gave me a warm smile.

"I love you all too. I promise I'll return." Percy said, as the globe flashed, and then dissolved into nothingness. I looked over at Artemis; she was wiping a few tears from her eyes. We both stood up and hugged each other.

"He's alive," I said, as Artemis nodded happily. We finally pulled apart, but Artemis had a serious expression on her face.

"How do we get the Eye?" Artemis asked. I thought about that, and then I smiled as an idea came to me.

"We need a really good thief." I stated. I hope this works, I thought.

_**AN: Percy will return as this chapter states after Loki and Kronos merge, therefore we can assume that nothing can stop that merger from happening. Stay tuned, much more to come.**_


	7. I Need a Thief and We Need a Mortal

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 7: I Need a Thief and We Need a Mortal

_Somewhere in the western United States - Almost four months since the end of A Titan's Secret_

**Athena's POV**

"We need a really good thief." I stated. Artemis stared at me in disbelief.

"We can't ask Hermes for help. You know we're both going against ancient law by getting involved?" Artemis asked. I gave her an amused smile.

"When has that ever stopped us before?" I asked rhetorically, earning a laugh from my little sister.

"Quite true, so I take it that you have someone else in mind?" Artemis asked curiously. I gave her a wry smile.

"How about we ask a thief who stole the master bolt and the helm of darkness?" I asked. Artermis's eyes widened in realization.

"Luke Castellan; you're really going to ask him. He was a traitor; can he be trusted?" Artemis asked worriedly.

"I think he's learned his lesson, plus, I believe he would like to make amends." I stated. Artemis nodded in understanding. "I will go to Camp Half Blood to ask him, please prepare the hunt to go to Mount Tam."

"I will, good luck." Artemis said. I closed my eyes as I dissolved into a golden light, when I opened my eyes I was standing on the beach near the lake at Camp Half Blood. I looked around to see a young man about twenty with blonde hair sitting in the sand, it was Luke Castellan. I walked up to him and his eyes widened when he saw me. He bowed carefully as he stared at me expectantly.

"Son of Hermes, I have a proposal for you." I said.

"Yes my lady, how can I help you?" Luke asked curiously.

"I need your special gifts to assist me in the procurement of a special object." I stated. A sly smile crossed Luke's face.

"In other words you need me to steal something for you?" Luke asked.

"Yes, but this item has already been stolen by its current owner, so you will be retrieving it from a thief." I clarified. Luke laughed at my statement.

"Good, I wouldn't want to do anything illegal." Luke said. I saw Luke's eyes widen as he looked behind me. I turned around to see a tall muscular girl looking at us. She had stringy brown hair and amber colored eyes. She wore a scowl across her face as she looked at Luke. "Clarisse, were you spying on us?" Clarisse bowed toward me.

"Sorry my lady, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you can't trust this traitor." Clarisse stated. I watched as Luke's head lowered at the word, traitor.

"I do trust him, Clarisse, is it?" I asked.

"Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares and head counselor." Clarisse answered.

"I need his expertise for this mission, do you have a better suggestion?" I asked. Clarisse looked at me curiously, and then she stared at Luke with a venomous glare.

"If you must take him, I would like to go to keep an eye on him." Clarisse said.

"This mission must remain a secret, if you promise to remain quiet about this discussion, then you may accompany us." I stated. Clarisse smiled at me, and then she gave an amused smirk toward Luke. She bowed toward me again.

"I accept the terms and you have my promise as a warrior not to mention this discussion. What will we tell Chiron?" Clarisse said.

"I will inform Chiron that you are both summoned to Olympus to speak with your parents." I said. Clarisse nodded in understanding. I looked towards Luke and he nodded in agreement as well. "Good, meet me here in an hour, we must be on our way quickly. The demigods nodded as they ran back into camp toward their respective cabins.

I walked to the big house; Chiron was sitting on the porch at a table playing solitaire.

"Lady Athena, a wonderful surprise, how are you?" Chiron asked, as he bowed his head.

"I am well. Have you seen Annabeth?" I asked. Chiron looked down at his hands for a moment before looking up at me.

"Lord Zeus hasn't informed you?" Chiron asked.

"Informed me about what?" I asked worriedly.

"Lupa arrived yesterday with her Romans. The titan army destroyed Camp Rome and now we believe that they plot the downfall of our camp." Chiron said. I just stared at him in disbelief and sadness.

"How many casualties?" I asked.

"Less than two dozen survived." Chiron said. I slumped down in the seat beside him. I had five children at that camp. I guess Chiron could see the worry and anguish in my eyes. "Two of your Roman children are here at camp." A few tears streamed down my face; I lost three children in this disaster. I wiped my eyes after a few moments.

"What does this have to do with Annabeth?" I asked.

"She volunteered for a quest to find out what happened at the Roman camp and prevent it from occurring here." Chiron said.

"She's on a quest?" I asked. Chiron nodded.

"Yes, She is on a quest with the children of the big three and Grover, the satyr. They are going into the labyrinth, that is what the Oracle told them." Chiron said, as he told me the prophecy.

"I can only pray that they succeed and return safely." I stated. Chiron nodded in agreement.

"You wanted to ask me something, my lady?" Chiron asked. I remembered why I came, I had to put aside my grief and worry.

"Yes, Luke Castellan and Clarisse La Rue are both wanted on Olympus by their parents. I was on my way here to see my daughter, so I thought I would transport them." I said.

"I understand, do you need me to find them?" Chiron asked.

"No, I found both of them on the beach; they are packing a few things for the trip. I'm not sure how long they will be gone." I stated.

"I understand," Chiron said. I stood up, but before I could go Chiron said, "I'm sorry about your children; Lupa said that they all died like Romans, but I rather say that they died bravely." I gave the old centaur a warm smile of thanks, and then I nodded before I walked back to the beach. When I arrived there, Luke and Clarisse were waiting.

"Gather around me children and close your eyes." I said, as Luke and Clarisse stood beside me with their bags in their hands. We disappeared from the beach in a golden light; a moment later we reappeared in the forest near Mount Tam.

"This is Mount Tam," Luke said nervously. Clarisse looked around as her spear extended into her hand.

"Yes, we will meet the hunters and my sister here." I said.

"My lady, why are we here?" Clarisse asked.

"We have a mission; we must steal the Eye of Odin." I stated. Luke stared at me in disbelief.

"Hecate has it in the Black Fortress." Luke said. I nodded in understanding.

"Why do we need it?" Clarisse asked. A smile crossed my face as I remembered the reason for our mission.

"We need it to bring Percy back to this realm." I stated. Luke and Clarisse both stared at me in wonder.

"Percy," Clarisse said.

"Yes, he is trapped on Asgard and we need to get the Eye by the day after the summer solstice." I stated. Luke stepped forward with a confident look on his face.

"I'll do everything I can to steal they Eye." Luke stated confidently.

"Good; now here's the plan." I said.

* * *

><p><em>Manhattan, New York<em>

**Thalia's POV**

Argus dropped us off in front of Dare Tower. Annabeth, Jason and I left the van to find the mortal. Annabeth thought it best, if only a few of us went to find her. We didn't want to scare her off. The three of us rode the elevator up to the penthouse floor. The doors opened to reveal an ornate hallway with beautiful furniture and famous paintings lining the walls. I watched as Annabeth looked at the architecture; she was definitely in her element.

"Which penthouse is hers?" I asked. Annabeth looked at the computer print out in her hands.

"This one," Annabeth said, as she pointed to the door on the right.

"Are you sure its a good idea to bring a mortal with us?" Jason asked again for the tenth time today. Annabeth gave him the death glare. "Sorry," Jason said as he raised his hands in defeat.

I walked to the door passed Annabeth and Jason as they continued to glare at each other. I knocked on the door carefully. I heard movement from behind the door, and then a few choice curse words. I heard the door unlock and pull open to reveal a tall red headed girl. Her curly red hair was tied up in a bun and she wore a painters smock. The smock was covered in dozens of paint colors and the girl had a few wisps of pain on her face as well. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen and she had green eyes the color of limes. She looked at me in surprise, and then she stared at Annabeth and Jason.

"Who are you?" She asked suspiciously.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, that's me." Rachel said.

"Can we come in to talk?" I asked. Rachel looked at me carefully, but then her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You're not some teen magazine kids here to get an interview, because if you are then forget it." Rachel stated.

"No, we're here to talk to you about what happened at Hoover Dam." I said. That got her attention. She looked at the three of us, up and down.

"Does this have anything to do with Percy Jackson?" She asked. Annabeth and I both looked at her in surprise. "I'll take that as a yes, come on in." She stepped away from the door. The three of us walked in and we were all blown away at what we saw. Rachel's apartment was huge. The ceilings were at least twenty feet tall. A metal spiral stair case curved up to a second floor area that must have included a bedroom and bathroom. The first floor was a complete open floor plan, almost like a warehouse. The kitchen was in the center, surrounded by bar top counters and stainless steel appliances. The living room was positioned near the floor to ceiling windows with a view of the New York skyline. The rest of the first floor was a studio space. Dozens of easels were positioned around the room. Finished and unfinished paintings were all around the space.

"Follow me; I have a feeling that I'll need to sit down for this." Rachel said. I had to smile at how casual she was about us being here. Jason and I sat on the couch, while Annabeth sat in a chair across from Rachel.

"Ms. Dare, do you see strange things?" Annabeth asked. Wow, talk about to the point, I thought. Rachel narrowed her eyes as she looked at Annabeth.

"You all can call me Rachel; who are you three. I like to know who I'm talking to before I spill any deep dark secrets." Rachel stated sarcastically. I think Percy would have liked this girl. I looked at Annabeth and she was glaring daggers at her. That clinches it, Percy would have liked her.

"My name is Thalia and this is my brother Jason. Percy was our brother." I said, as I tried to hide my sadness. Rachel must have picked up on my words.

"He was your brother?" She asked.

"Yes, he died a few months ago." I said sadly, as Jason wrapped his arm around me protectively. Rachel looked sad for a moment, and then she looked expectantly toward Annabeth. Annabeth looked at me and I could see the pain in her eyes.

"I'm Annabeth Chase, Percy was my best friend." She said, as she looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I only met him the one time, but I could tell he was special." Rachel said sincerely. She smiled at all of us, but then she put on a serious face. "Now back to your question."

"Sometimes do you see strange things?" Annabeth asked again. Rachel looked at her, and then to Jason and I. It was almost like she was trying to gauge whether she could trust us.

"Yes, I see strange things sometimes." Rachel said. A small smile appeared on Annabeth's face.

"Do you see strange creatures sometimes as well?" Annabeth asked. Something flashed across Rachel's green eyes.

"You mean like the monster on the dam?" Rachel asked expectantly.

"Yes, monster is a good word for them." Annabeth answered.

"So, these monsters are real. I take it that Percy was a monster hunter, or something." Rachel said.

"Something like that." I said. Rachel looked at the three of us closely.

"Are you three monster hunters as well?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, we are." I said. Annabeth looked at me closely. I gave her a reassuring nod.

"Have you ever heard of the Greek gods?" I asked.

"Or Roman gods?" Jason inserted. I elbowed in the ribs, so he'd shut-up.

"You mean like Zeus, Apollo, those gods?" Rachel asked. A hopeful smile crossed Annabeth's face.

"The gods are real and here in the United States." I said. Rachel looked at me closely, she was trying to read, if I was telling the truth. I guess she saw enough, as she gave me a thankful smile.

"So, I'm not crazy after all." Rachel said. We all looked at her closely. "That's what my dad and all the shrinks think." We all nodded in understanding. "So why did you come here, just to tell me this?" Annabeth sat on the edge of her chair.

"We came her to ask you for help." Annabeth said. Rachel's eye grew big in surprise.

"How can I help you?" Rachel asked curiously.

"If you know about the gods, then you know about demigods, right?" Annabeth asked.

"Half god and half mortal." Rachel answered. Rachel's eyes grew even bigger. "You're demigods." We all smiled at her.

"Yes, we are." I said, as Annabeth sat back in her chair.

"Rachel, you are what we call a clear sighted mortal. You can see through the mist; the mist is what causes normal mortals not to see the gods or monsters. It allows our world to stay invisible from yours." I said. Annabeth nodded approvingly at my explanation.

"So you need my help seeing through the mist, but why?" Rachel asked. I knew this was Annabeth's turn.

"The mist is strong, it can even hide things from demigods. We have a quest to find the labyrinth, the same one in the stories of Theseus. We need a clear sighted mortal to help us find the entrance and to guide us through." Annabeth stated. Rachel took in all of this without question, but then she did the unexpected. She stood up quickly and ran toward her studio. We all ran after her. "Rachel, its ok, I didn't mean to scare ..." Annabeth said before stopping to look at the paintings in front of us. There was a finished painting of Jason on the back of hippocampus with the Roman camp burning in the background. There was a painting of the mummified oracle giving Annabeth the prophecy. Another painting showed us standing by a large rock in a burned out ruin, the delta symbol glowed on the side of the massive boulder. The last painting showed us walking through a dark tunnel with Rachel in the lead. Jason and Annabeth holding torches to light our way.

"You saw all these images in your head?" Annabeth asked. Rachel turned toward us, a look of complete shock, understanding and happiness in her eyes.

"Yes, these images just come to me sometimes." Rachel said. I looked at Annabeth and I could tell that she had an idea what was going on. We all looked back at Rachel. She was just standing in front of us with a far off look in her green eyes.

Suddenly, she seemed to snap out of her trance. "I'll help you." She said. We all nodded as we gave her hopeful smiles, I guess our first mission was a success.

_**AN: So Luke and Clarisse will help Artemis, Athena and the hunters get the Eye of Odin. It appears our quest team has a new member. More to come next chapter, plus an update on Percy's new weapons, so stay tuned.**_


	8. Blood, Water and Stone

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 8: Blood, Water and Stone

_City of Valhalla in the Realm of Asgard_

**Percy's POV**

I ran back into the great hall. I dropped the large backpack off my back, and it hit the floor with a loud bang as the stone floor cracked under the massive weight. I opened the backpack and looked inside. The backpack was filled with some type of metal ore. The metal had not been refined yet, but it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. When I touched it I could feel the power emanating off of it.

"My lord, can you carry that bag for me?" Brokkr asked. Thor had me run twenty laps around the city with that bag on my back, so carrying it another few yards wouldn't make a difference.

"Sure," I said, as I followed him into an interior room. When the door opened it felt like the Cyclops forges near Atlantis, but much worse. The room was dark and the walls looked like a type of black stone that absorbed all light. Brokkr raised a torch from one of the walls, so I followed him further into the room, and then I stopped in complete shock. In the center of the room was a glowing globe of energy, it was some type of force field. The force field itself didn't surprise me, it was the thing inside the forcefield. In the center of the force field, floating as if in outer space was a small sun, it was the size of a beach ball. Even with the forcefield in place the heat and energy that seeped through was enough to make my head spin and my vision blur. "That's a star," Brokkr turned around and looked at me carefully; he wore a broad smile across his face.

"Yes, this is the power source for the great city of Valhalla. Lord Odin created this star using the power of the Aesir." Brokkr said.

"Why is the power source to the city in a forge?" I asked curiously.

"The power source is also the forge. To smelt and work Uru metal you need intense heat and power. This artificial sun provides both." Brokkr said. I sat the backpack on the ground and opened it. I took out a piece of the metal ore and looked at it closely.

"This is Uru metal, the metal of the Norse gods?" I asked.

"Yes, my lord." Brokkr said.

"What about my weapon?" I asked. Brokkr gave me a warm smile.

"We needed more ore to complete them." Brokkr said.

"Them, don't you mean it?" I asked.

"No, my lord, we are making two pieces of armament for you." Brokkr stated.

"Two weapons?" I asked curiously.

"No, one weapon, Mjolnir." Brokkr said. Now I was very confused.

"But you said two?" I asked again.

"One weapon and another for defense." Brokkr said, and then I realized they were making me a shield or something.

"I better leave and let you finish." I said, as I was about to turn around Brokkr tugged on my shirt. I turned around and looked at my small friend. "Yes?"

"We need your help for a moment." Brokkr said.

"What can I do?" I said. Brokkr looked at me carefully.

"We need your blood for the weapons." Brokkr said. I looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" I asked.

"A blood of the Aesir is needed to activate the magic and to link these weapons with your genetic code." Brokkr stated. I nodded in understanding. Brokkr grabbed my left hand and then he cut a deep gash in my hand. It burned like Tartarus. Brokkr held a metal goblet under my hand and the blood filled the cup. Brokkr said a few magic words in the Norse language, the bleeding stopped and the cut instantly closed up. I looked down into the goblet that was filled with my blood

"Now what?" I asked curiously.

"Now, you must go, my lord." He said. I nodded and walked out into the great hall. I wonder what the defensive armament is?

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere in the western United States - Almost four months since the end of A Titan's Secret<em>

**Athena's POV**

"We need to be careful, monsters are all over this place." Luke stated warily.

"No need to worry, the monsters are all gone." I reassured them.

"Where are they?" Clarisse asked.

"They're gathering for an attack on Camp Half Blood." I answered.

"What, we need to get back now." Luke said loudly.

"The traitor is right, we need to prepare for battle." Clarisse added, Luke winced when she called him a traitor.

"Do not worry, they will not attack until after the summer solstice." I stated.

"Why is that?" Clarisse asked.

"Because they will wait until Kronos merges with Loki." A female voice said from behind us, a voice I would no anywhere. We all turned around to see Artemis and the hunters behind her. They all glared at Luke when they saw him. I gave my little sister a slight nod as I smiled at the hunters. I noticed Artemis eye Clarisse curiously, I'll have to ask her about that later.

"Artemis, I'm glad that you and the hunters are here. I have brought the son of Hermes, however, this daughter of Ares asked to join." I said, Clarisse looked at me in surprise when I didn't state that she blackmailed me into coming.

Artemis and Zoe walked over to Clarisse, Luke and I. Zoe looked at Luke with a disgusted glare. "Why do we need him?" Zoe asked harshly.

"We need a thief and no matter what you think of him, he is a good thief." I stated. Artemis and Zoe nodded reluctantly.

"Alright thief, how do we get the Eye of Odin?" Zoe asked. Luke looked at all of us and smiled mischievously.

"The titans will have the air vent that you used last time guarded or blocked at the very least, so we cannot go that way. However, there is another way in, one that most of the titans know nothing about." Luke said. That peaked my interest for sure.

"Well, are you going to tell us?" Clarisse snapped. Luke gave her a quick smirk.

"There is a water intake that captures water from an underground spring. The fortress has pumps that moves the water up, until it enters the pipe system, once there the water is diverted throughout the fortress. We can find the water intake and climb the ladder that allows access to the underground pipes. It will be a tight fit, but we should be able to get into there and out unseen." Luke said. I looked at him and smiled, he really is a true son of Hermes.

"How did you find out about this?" I asked.

"I always check my surroundings for escape routes; you never know when you may need to make a quick getaway." Luke answered slyly. Artemis looked around at all of us, and then she sighed impatiently.

"What in Hades are we waiting for?" Artemis said, as she motioned for us to move out. Luke took the lead with my sister and I right behind him.

* * *

><p><em>Manhattan, New York<em>

**Thalia's POV**

After a great deal of arguing with Rachel, mostly between Rachel and Annabeth, we finally made it back to the van. We entered and I introduced Rachel to Bianca, Nico, Grover and Tyson. Rachel's eyes grew big when she saw Tyson.

"He's a ..." Her voice trailed off.

"A Cyclops, do you have a problem with that?" Annabeth asked harshly. Rachel gave her the death glare.

"No, its just surprising." Rachel said, as she eyed Tyson warily.

"Don't worry Red, Tyson's a good Cyclops." Grover said, as he gave Rachel a sympathetic look.

"Red, huh?" Rachel asked with amusement in her voice. She looked at Grover carefully, and then her eyes grew wide again. Grover took off his cap to show his horns.

"I'm a satyr." Grover declared.

"Non duh, goat boy." I stated causing Nico, Bianca, Annabeth and Jason to laugh.

"A pleasure to meet you Grover." Rachel said, as she shook his hand completely ignoring my snide comment. Grover smiled back at her with a friendly gleam in his eyes.

"If we're done with the introductions we need to get to the airport. Argus, please drive on." Annabeth urged. She sounds liked a mother hen, I thought.

Argus drove on until we reached the airport. We all got out and I thanked Argus for the ride. He winked at me, which wouldn't normally be an issue, but he winked at me with his hundreds of eyes. It made me feel very self-conscious to say the least. Nico laughed at me before he laced his arm through mine and dragged me off to follow the others into the airport. By the time we boarded the plane, Nico, Bianca and Tyson all looked sick. I wasn't feeling the best myself, I'm afraid that I'm still a little scared of heights. Besides my stomach gets a little motion sickness. The plane finally took off and we were on our way to San Francisco. Nico and Bianca sat together, Tyson and Annabeth sat across from them, Rachel sat next to Grover, while I sat beside Jason.

The plane trip was long, but many hours later we landed in San Francisco. We left the plane and grabbed our bags. Since Grover looked old enough to drive and he had a Hermes worthy driver's license, he rented a van and we drove to the outskirts of Camp Rome. We finally reached the forest that surrounded the camp. Grover parked the van and we walked to the remains of the camp. The forest suddenly opened into a clearing and the sight before us made our blood run cold. The walls of the camp were charred black and had collapsed in several places. We all walked inside the walls to see many burned out bunkers and other buildings. The camp had been devastated and lucky for us, no monsters were around. I looked at Jason and I could see the pain in his eyes.

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, I'm here for you, if you want to talk." Jason held my hand and smiled at me.

"I'll be fine, but thanks sis." Jason said. I watched as Rachel walked through the ruined camp, at first she looked stunned, but now she looked like some force was leading her around the camp. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I watched as Annabeth followed her closely. I walked over to Annabeth, she stopped when she saw me approach.

"You know something." I accused. Annabeth rolled her eyes, and then she sighed when I wouldn't back down.

"I think Rachel has the gift." Annabeth stated. I looked at her, and then at Rachel.

"What gift?" I asked curiously. Annabeth looked around to make sure no one heard her, and then she leaned closer to me.

"I think she has the gift of sight. Those destined to be an oracle sometimes show signs of sight or visions. Those paintings in her apartment, those are visions. I think Rachel could be the next oracle." Annabeth whispered carefully. My eyes widened at that revelation. I looked over at Rachel and her green eyes seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. I walked with Annabeth as we followed Rachel closely. The others seemed to just wander the camp solemnly. Rachel kept walking around, but she avoided the burned out buildings, instead she walked off into the forest that was partially within the burned out camp walls. We followed her for a few minutes until she stopped in front of a large boulder. The large stone boulder was about three times as tall as Rachel and it was several meters in width. Rachel just stared at a certain part of the rock. Annabeth and I walked up to her until Annabeth placed her hand on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel turned around and her eyes were glowing with a green light. Annabeth and I jumped back in surprise.

"Rachel," Annabeth said, as she waved her hand in front of the girl's face. Rachel shook her head for a moment, until the light in her eyes faded.

"What's going on?" Rachel asked with confusion evident in her voice.

"You walked around the camp in a daze, and then you just stopped in front of this boulder." I said. Rachel looked back at the boulder, and then she gasped.

"What is it?" Annabeth asked worriedly. Rachel raised her hand and touched a part of the boulder, instantly a green symbol appeared in the stone, a triangle glowed where she had touched the boulder. It was the delta symbol, Daedalus's symbol for the entrances to the labyrinth. Annabeth nodded her head to me and I knew I had to get the others. I ran to the burned out camp to find my friends. We had found the entrance, now our quest could begin. I wish I could say I felt good about that. I was worried; we were about to enter the maze of death.

_**AN: I know, no action, but I promise, the next chapter will have action. Percy's weapons are being made and it appears he will have Mjolnir plus a defensive weapon of some sort. Athena, Artemis and the others are on their way into the Black Fortress to find the Eye of Odin. Lastly the quest team has found the entrance to the labyrinth and now they must enter the Maze of Death to find Daedalus and stop the titan army from sneaking into Camp Half Blood. More to come, so stay tuned.**_


	9. Weapons, Water Pipes and Wrestlers

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

_**AN: Sorry for the delay, this chapter was a little harder to get a grip on, especially the armor descriptions and the Norse prayers. FYI - The Thunderer is another name for Thor in Norse mythology and the All-Father is another name for Odin.**_

Chapter 9: Weapons, Water Pipes and Wrestlers

_Five Days Before the Summer Solstice_

_City of Valhalla, Asgard_

**Percy's POV**

I was tired of waiting. Thor kept me busy training, but all I wanted was my new weapons. How was I going to beat Loki, if I hadn't even trained with my new weapon? I was supposed to return to Midgard or Earth, whatever, in six days. To say I was depressed, worried, anxious and downright stressed would be an understatement. I was sitting in my room; today was supposed to be the day when Brokkr and Sindri presented me with my two pieces of armament. The new Mjolnir and some type of defensive weapon.

I tried to put aside my annoyance at the delay in my weapons, so I focused on home. When I saw Athena and Artemis, I was so happy. I wasn't really very close to Artemis, but I tried to be. Athena, on the other hand was my big sister and teacher. In many ways she was another motherly figure for me.

When I thought of Athena, I usually thought about Annabeth as well. I just couldn't help doing that. The image of her holding onto Luke when I entered the Black Fortress played in my mind. I felt betrayed, angry and most of all, jealous. I was jealous that she liked Luke more than me. I never betrayed her and I was always there for her, well except for right now. I thought about the letter that I left with her dad. I'm sure she read it thinking I was dead. How did she react to it? Did she laugh at my stupidity? Did she scoff at my feelings for her or did she feel something for me? Did she feel something for me that was more than friendship? My mind raced with questions. I was so focused on my internal musings that I didn't even see the door to my room open, until I saw Brokkr walk in.

"My lord, are you injured?" Brokkr asked. I looked at my friend; I let all of my internal thoughts about Annabeth wash away as I stared at him curiously.

"Are they ready?" I asked hopefully. Brokkr gave me a huge grin as he nodded. I couldn't help, but smile in return.

"Follow me, my lord." Brokkr said, as he hurried out of the room. I followed close behind him, we entered the Great Hall to find Thor sitting on his throne waiting for us.

"Percy, your new weapons have been forged." Thor stated, as he looked towards the door that led to the room that housed the great power source of the city. Sindri walked in dragging a large wooden chest. Brokkr hurried to help him with his burden. The two dwarves pulled the chest until it sat on the ground in front of my uncle.

"Their inside?" I asked curiously. The two dwarves nodded in agreement.

"Open it my boy." Thor said. I walked to the chest it wasn't large, but it looked heavy. I pulled back the latch from the lock, and then I swung the lid open. I looked inside to find two small objects. The first was a black leather belt with a belt buckle that looked like the Norse symbol for Thor, a hammer. I picked up the belt and looked at it curiously.

"What is it?" I asked. Thor chuckled to himself.

"Its a belt and belt buckle, put it on." Thor urged. I put the belt on and buckled it securely around my waist. I touched the buckle that looked like an old fashioned hammer. When I touched the metal it glowed a beautiful sea green color. The energy that came off the buckle seemed to energize my whole body. I could feel the power and the magic in the buckle, it felt like a part of me.

"What does it do?" I asked. Thor gave me an amused smile.

"Touch the buckle and recite the prayer." Thor said. I touched the buckle, and then I read the runes.

_I call upon the thunderer_

_The power of storm and lightning_

_I look to the skies for guidance and protection_

_The realms rejoice in the glory of Asgard_

_May evil cower before our might_

The sea green glow enveloped me and when the light faded I wore a beautiful set of full body armor that covered my entire body. The armor was also sea green and it glowed with magic and power. My hands were covered in armored gauntlets that had spikes on the knuckles. My head felt heavier, I had a helmet on my head. I touched the helmet and I could feel metal wings protrude from the sides of the helmet. Thor snapped his fingers and a mirror appeared in front of me. I looked at the armor closely, it was definitely sea green and the metal looked like it had scales like a dragon's skin. I realized that was the design that had been forged into the metal. The helmet was beautiful, the metal wings extended from around my ears and were a good two feet long. They had sharp edges and looked like they could give a nasty cut. The helmet covered my entire head except for my face. My jaw was left free, but metal plates protected my cheeks and the eyes were surrounded by other smaller plates of metal. On my back I noticed a sea green cape that flowed down to my knees. I looked closely at myself, and then I realized, the armor added a good two inches to my height, that would make me about six feet four inches. That's really tall for a kid that's not even fifteen yet. I bet none of my friends or family would recognize me in this getup.

"Don't worry my boy, we Aesir grow faster than humans. The armor will grow as you grow, but you are almost at your full height now." Thor said, as if he read my mind.

"How tall will I get?" I asked.

"You are six feet two inches now, I'd say you'll grow another two inches by your sixteenth birthday." Thor said. My sixteenth birthday, I remembered the great prophecy and I felt sick to my stomach.

"Do you know about the great prophecy?" I asked. Thor looked hesitant to answer for a moment, but then he sighed in resignation.

"Yes, Odin and I both knew about it." Thor answered.

"Am I really gonna die?" I asked, not really wanting to know a definitive answer.

"My boy, no one knows for sure, all we ever wanted was to prepare you for what needed to be done. Loki is not interested in ruling Midgard, as I said he wants it destroyed, and then he will move on to the next realm. He has already achieved the destruction of Asgard." Thor said sadly. I looked around with a confused expression on my face, Asgards not destroyed. "My boy, Asgard cannot survive without the Aesir. When my jobs is done training you, I will join my father in the great void. Brokkr and Sindri are not of this realm, so they will return home. When you leave Asgard, this world will fade until its only a distant memory. You will truly be the last son of Asgard and the legacy of the Aesir. Always remember who and what you are." I nodded in understanding, but I felt sad at the imminent loss of such a beautiful world.

I looked back into the chest and saw another object glowing in the dark box. I reached into the box and found a small metal object. I pulled it out, it was a metal ring. It glowed with the same sea green color as the belt buckle. The ring had runes engraved in it just like the belt buckle, it was another Norse prayer. "Its beautiful," I said. Thor gave me a hopeful smile.

"Put the ring on, and then recite the prayer." Thor said. I placed the ring on my finger, and then I looked at Thor. He nodded reassuringly. I looked at the runes on the ring, and then I read them in the Norse language, perfectly.

_As the realms settle into darkness_

_May the light of the all-father shine through_

_As the strength of the Aesir flows through my veins_

_I seek that power to defend and preserve_

_I will fight with honor and reverence_

_To defend the helpless and to defeat evil_

Once I finished the prayer the ring glowed intensely and I could feel it change in my grip. Something heavy entered my hand and I grasped it. When the light faded, I was stunned at the object in my hand. In my hand was a four foot long weapon from the handle to the end of the object. It wasn't exactly a hammer, but it wasn't an axe either. The entire weapon including the handle was made of the sea green metal. The metal glowed in my hand and I felt even more power than the metal of the armor that I wore. The handle extended out of my handle. The weapon split into two parts. On one side was a rounded hammer head that extended about a foot from the end of the weapon. On the other side was a curved blade like an axe head, but it was curved into a perfect crescent moon shape. The two sides came together into the end of the weapon. At the top of the weapon was another round shape with a curved top, almost like a battering ram. As I held the weapon by its handle I could feel the tough leather strap that hung down, it was similar to the one that I had on my axe. At the end of the weapon on top of the battering ram head was a single rune and it was a name that I knew all too well, it said Mjolnir or Crusher. I looked back at my uncle and he wore a huge smile on his face. Standing next to him were Brokkr and Sindri, they smiled at me as well.

"All hail, Perseus Achilles Jackson, champion of Olympus, last son of Asgard, the legacy of the Aesir and now wielder of Mjolnir, the greatest weapon in the universe." Thor said, as Brokkr and Sindri bowed before me. I could hear lightning and thunder overhead. I could feel the power and magic of Mjolnir in my hand. The power was beyond anything I had ever felt before.

* * *

><p><em>The Black Fortress - Mount Othrys<em>

**Athena's POV**

We found Luke's water tunnel and managed to enter without incident. We walked through the tunnels, until we heard talking. It sounded like a women's voice. We followed the sound until we reached the end of the pipes. I looked up to see a valve in the side of the pipe. It was large enough for us to crawl through, if we could open it. One problem it was locked from the outside. Luke stepped forward and looked at the valve carefully. He pulled his duffel bag off his shoulder and dropped it to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked curiously. Luke looked toward her with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Getting us out of these pipes." Luke answered. He opened his bag and pulled out something that looked like a tiny torch of some type.

"What is that?" I asked.

"A torch that I got from the Hephaestus cabin. It uses Greek fire and it can burn through any metal, except for celestial bronze and adamantine. He placed the torch on the hatch that led out of the valve. The torch hissed to life as Luke used it to cut a hole about the size of a basketball into the metal hatch. Luke peeked out the whole, careful not to burn himself on the red hot edges of the hole he just created. "There's a pad lock on the hatch." Luke pulled out metal cutters from his bag and cut the lock in half. He pushed the hatch open slowly. He stepped through the hatch, and then he waved the rest of us through.

The room that we stood in was some type of mechanical room. I could see water pumps, a boiler and several electrical boxes.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked Luke. Luke looked around for a few seconds, and then he turned back to us with a smile on his face.

"The woman's voice, that was Hecate." Luke said.

"How do you know that?" Artemis asked.

"Her potion room is located in the first level basement of the fortress. That's where we are." He said, as he walked to the door of the room. He pulled the door open slightly and peeked through the opening. He closed the door quickly and silently. "Her door is across the hall, but she has two Cyclops guards outside the door.

"How do we get passed them in these tight quarters?" Zoe asked. A smile came to Luke's face.

"You have an idea?" I asked curiously.

"I have a plan, with your permission, my lady?" Luke asked. I nodded for him to continue. "You, Clarisse and I get these pumps running and when they hear them they will walk in here. When they do, the hunters and Lady Artemis will take them down."

"A good plan, son of Hermes." I said. Luke smiled in thanks. "Proceed," Clarisse and I followed Luke as we watched him turn on the pumps. Artemis and the hunters proceeded to get ready with their bows and arrows. The pumps were loud and seemed to vibrate the entire room. Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, the two Cyclops ran inside. They saw Luke and Clarisse first. They lifted their clubs to attack, but they never got the chance. Arrows flew towards the two monsters, after a few seconds the monsters were turning to dust with arrows protruding from their heads, eyes and throats. Luke stepped over the two piles of monster dust as he opened the door to the mechanical room. He looked down each side of the hallway, and then he turned back to us.

"Time to get the Eye." Luke said, as we all smiled in agreement.

* * *

><p><em>Inside the labyrinth<em>

**Thalia's POV**

To say the labyrinth was dark and scary would be an understatement, although I would never tell my friends that. We had been walking through the tunnel for a few hours now, as Rachel, Jason and Annabeth led the way. Nico, Bianca and I were in the middle, while Tyson and Grover brought up the rear.

After several more hours of walking we came to a large wooden stockade. The wooden logs were at least a few feet in diameter. We looked around the large wooden walls, but there was no way around it. We could see lights glowing from the other side of the walls. People were yelling from inside the fortress.

"What is this?" I asked as I joined Annabeth, Jason and Rachel near the base of the wall.

"Some type of fortress." Jason answered.

"Inside the labyrinth, isn't that odd?" I asked worriedly. Annabeth looked up and down the walls.

"Yes, it is, but we have to get around this." Annabeth stated.

"Let's knock," Jason said, as he hammered on the wall with the hilt of his gladius. Almost immediately the wooden gates opened. I looked at my friends and I could tell they were worried.

"We have to get through this, but stay on guard, its probably a trap." Annabeth warned.

We all walked through the gate and headed toward the lights and noise. The gates behind us closed, there was no turning back now. We reached the center of the fortress to find a stone coliseum, Jason smiled at the obvious Roman design.

We walked into the building to find bleacher like seats filled with transparent figures, and then I realized these were ghosts or spirits. Many looked human or demigod, but some spirits were other creatures like satyrs, centaurs, nymphs, and other entities I hadn't seen before. They all cheered toward the center of the building where the arena floor was located, about ten feet below the level of the grand stands. I looked into the arena to see two monsters fighting. One was a monster made of solid rock and the other was a Laestrygonian. I noticed the walls around the arena were made of marble and celestial bronze gated entrances were located at the two opposite ends of the arena. We watched as the large stone creature beat the giant to death. The giant dissolved into dust just as the arena roared in applause. Suddenly, a large horn sounded that reverberated throughout the coliseum. A spotlight shined down upon the far end of the coliseum a large figure sat on a strange throne at the end of the seats. The man or more precisely creature stood just under seven feet tall. He was built like giant wrestler. His eyes were black and his hair was brown, but it was cut into neatly trimmed mohawk. He looked down at us with an evil grin.

"It appears that we have others who wish to challenge our walls and fighters." The man said. The wrestler guy pointed to the side of the arena only a few feet next to him and there sat Ethan Nakamura with Chris Rodriguez at his side. Ethan looked down at us with anger in his eyes. He said something to the giant wrestler guy. "Guards take their weapons and prepare them." Dozens of monster guards surrounded us, we gave them our weapons with no fight. There were too many of them.

Before we left the arena Annabeth turned around and glared at the wrestler who sat on his throne. "Who are you?" She yelled. The giant wrestler stood up and I gasped at his throne. The throne was made of the skulls of humans and monsters, dozens of them. The wrestler saw our stunned faces. A huge evil smile extended across his face. You have entered the realm of Antaeus, son of Poseidon and Gaea. We were all frozen in shock as the monsters forced us out of the coliseum. What have we gotten ourselves into?

_**AN: I hope this chapter answered some questions about Percy's height and his incredible rate of growth. I hope everyone liked Percy's knew weapons. We will learn more about them in the next few chapters. This chapter took place about five days before the summer solstice. Next chapter will deal mostly with the mission to find the Eye of Odin and the quest in the labyrinth, so stay tuned.**_


	10. Prisoners, Lost Sons, and a Hero

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

_**AN: This chapter will provide some answers on Mjolnir and when Percy might return, enjoy.**_

Chapter 10: Prisoners, Lost Sons, and a Hero

_Four days until the summer solstice - Antaeus's Fortress in the labyrinth_

**Thalia's POV**

All of us were led from the arena to a large stone cell with bars on the windows and a heavy wooden door reinforced with celestial bronze. There was no way we were breaking out. Once the door closed behind us, Annabeth turned to Bianca and Nico.

"Can you shadow travel out of here?" Annabeth asked. Bianca and Nico ran to the darkest shadow in the corner of the room and smacked heads directly into the stone wall. They fell to the ground unconscious, we all stood there stunned for a moment before Jason, Annabeth and I ran to their sides. I held Nico as Annabeth and Jason helped Bianca. They both had large bumps on their heads and most likely concussions.

"Dammit, these walls must be laced with celestial bronze. We're definitely trapped." Annabeth yelled, as she and Jason placed Bianca carefully on the floor with her jacket tucked under her head as a pillow. I did the same with Nico, but I added a little kiss on his forehead for luck after I made sure no one was looking, that is.

"What are they going to do to us?" Grover asked worriedly. The poor goat boy was shaking slightly, probably imagining all sorts of horrible scenarios.

"He's going to make us fight in the arena." Jason stated. My brother wore a determined look on his face and I knew he was use to gladiator combat back at the Roman camp.

"If Ethan and Chris are here, then Kronos's army must be close by." Annabeth said.

"Not necessarily, they need to barter for safe passage beyond this fortress, they wouldn't risk all of their army for a negotiation." Jason said. Annabeth looked impressed at my once little brother.

"They teach you good tactics and strategy at that Roman camp." Annabeth praised. Jason gave her an amused grin.

"Three hours a day and every day, no holidays at Camp Rome." Jason stated proudly.

"How many hours a day do you train?" Grover asked curiously.

"Between twelve and fourteen, depends on rank and skill level." Jason stated. He had a proud and confident look on his face. It was my turn to knock him down a few pegs.

"So how long have you been dating Rhena?" I asked, trying to hold in my amusement. Jason's face turned red and his confident look turned into one of embarrassment and stupidity, it reminded of Percy. I tried unsuccessfully to clear that thought from my mind. Annabeth was smiling too, but she saw my face change and she knew what or in this case who I was thinking about. Jason's embarrassment ebbed as he looked at Annabeth and I with a concerned glare.

"Are you two, ok?" Jason asked. Annabeth and I looked at each other.

"Yeah, we're fine, just remembering a lost friend." I said, but the word friend just didn't feel right and I could tell that Annabeth thought so as well.

"Thinking about our older brother?" Jason said, he didn't know Percy, but I could tell that he wished he had. Annabeth and I both nodded sadly. Grover sighed from behind us, when we turned to look at him, he was wiping a tear from his eye. I looked over in the corner of the room as I stared passed Grover to see someone on the ground holding their knees to their chest. It was Rachel, she was half obscured in the shadows, but I could see her body shaking slightly and I knew she was scared. Tyson leaned down next to her, but she wouldn't move. I walked over to her and sat down on the stone floor beside her.

"Rachel, how are you holding up?" I asked, already knowing that she was having a hard time.

"We're going to die, aren't we?" She asked. I froze at the defeated tone in her voice. I looked around and the only person who heard her besides me was Tyson.

"Fire haired girl won't die, Tyson protect her." Tyson said. I smiled at the young Cyclops. He was so much different from his normal brethren, he was a lot like Percy when it came to his friends. He was protective of Rachel, even though he had only known her for a short time. Rachel looked up at Tyson and a small smile crossed her lips.

"Thank you, Tyson." She said. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Red, we'll get out of here." I said, trying to tease her with the nickname that Grover gave her. I guess it worked because she crossed her arms over her chest, and then she gave me the death glare. "Now there's the clear sighted mortal that drives the old brain child crazy." Rachel and I looked over at Annabeth, and then Rachel began to laugh. It was the first time she had laughed during this journey and I couldn't help to think that it sounded pretty good. I stood up and offered her my hand. She grabbed it and I pulled her up. We walked over to Annabeth, Grover and Jason as they discussed plans for escape, but they didn't look very confident.

"Any ideas?" I asked. Annabeth looked up, she frowned when she saw Rachel, but she covered it up quickly.

"Several, but none of them will work." Annabeth answered. Jason stood up and walked to the door of our cell.

"We'll have to fight." Jason stated.

"Of course we'll have to fight." I said harshly. Jason turned around with a determined look on his face.

"I mean we will have to fight in the arena and one of us will have to beat Antaeus." Jason said logically.

"You know he's a son of Gaea, but he kills because he thinks Poseidon blessed him." Annabeth said.

"Poseidon hasn't blessed him, right?" I asked curiously.

"Of course not, Poseidon may not be the best father, but he's not a monster. He would never bless a child that collects skulls and kills for sport." Annabeth stated confidently.

"She's right, but Gaea has blessed Antaeus, as long as he's in contact with the ground, he's unbeatable." Jason said.

"So the ground heals him?" I asked.

"More like he's part of the earth and the earth always protects its own." Annabeth said.

"They'll make us fight, so Thals, we need to be teamed together. We should be able to use our powers over the air to help us win." Jason said. I nodded in agreement.

"Tyson and I will work together. Nico and Bianca will be teamed together as well." Annabeth said. I looked over at Rachel; she was talking to Grover about some environmental charity that she worked for last summer.

"What about Grover and Rachel?" I asked.

"They'll let them watch, but they won't be allowed to participate." Annabeth said. The latch on the door began to turn; we all jumped back away from the door instinctively. The door opened to reveal two large stone warriors. They walked inside and flanked both sides of the door. They each carried a large battle axe that was at least six feet long. We all crowded against the back wall in preparation for the worst, instead Ethan and Chris walked in, they both wore their evil smiles.

"Annabeth and Grover, so good to see both of you." Ethan said. Ethan looked around curiously. "Where's Luke?"

"He's not here, you traitor." Annabeth spat. Ethan only smiled at her fiendishly.

"Don't worry bitch; we'll kill him soon enough." Ethan stated. Jason, Tyson and Grover both clenched their fists in anger.

"So, you're Thalia and Jason, and those are the twins of Hades. I hope that all of you provide sport for our host. Enough to allow him to grant our forces safe passage through the fortress. Your pathetic camp will be destroyed, soon enough." Ethan stated. Ethan and Chris both began to walk out the door, but Chris turned toward us. He looked directly at Jason and I.

"Your little plan to kill Antaeus won't work. Your godly powers won't work here in the fortress or in the arena. Have fun dying suckers." Chris said, as he and Ethan began to laugh. All of us slumped to the floor, so much for our great plan.

* * *

><p><em>Black Fortress - Mount Othrys<em>

**Athena's POV**

Luke jumped back inside before any of us could leave the room. He closed the door quickly and silently. We all looked at him curiously.

"More guards?" Zoe asked.

"No, Hecate is leaving her potion room, this may be easier than I thought." Luke said. We listened as the door opened, and then Hecate cursed out loud because her guards were gone. We listened as she griped to herself about the help. Finally, the sounds of her walking and yelling died down as she left the basement of the fortress. Luke opened the door again, and then stepped outside. He stepped back in a moment later.

"She's gone, let's go." Luke said. We all followed behind him as he opened the door to Hecate's potion room. When we walked inside the first thing I noticed was the layout of the room. The walls were stone and several torches hung from the walls providing light to the room. A large table sat in the middle of the room covered in notes, books, bottles and bags of dried herbs. In the corner of the room was a large fireplace with a black iron cauldron boiling over it. The rest of the room had a few lounge chairs and three large book cases filled with books and scrolls.

"Where is the Eye?" Artemis asked. Luke cleared his throat as he walked over to the other side of the room. His duffel bag was slung over his shoulder. He walked over to the empty far wall, two torches burned as they hung from the wall. Jason looked at the wall closely, and then he pulled the torch on the right. The middle of the wall opened to reveal a four foot by four foot steel safe. A combination lock was in the middle of the safe door with a bright silver handle next to it.

"It's in the safe?" I asked. Luke nodded as he sat down his duffel bag and opened it. He pulled out a pair of doctor's stethoscopes and placed them in his ears. He held the other end against the side of the door near the combination lock. He listened closely as he turned the combination. After a few minutes he turned the safe's handle and the door opened easily. I gave the son of Hermes a bright smile as he reached into the safe and pulled out the largest and roundest diamond, I had ever seen.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Luke asked, as he handed the Eye to me. I took the gem and held it in my hand. Artemis, Zoe and Clarisse stood beside me as I held it up to the light.

"Yes, it is, this was Odin's eye?" Zoe asked in awe.

"Yes, the legends of the Aesir stated that Odin gave his eye to Mimer, the keeper of the well of knowledge. In return, Odin would receive the great knowledge that he desired. Mimer threw the Eye into the well and it instantly turned into the giant gem.

"The Eye will help Perseus return to us?" Zoe asked.

"Yes, we will keep it with us. Percy will return the day after the summer solstice." I said. I looked over at Luke; he was looking at us closely. "Do we get out of here the same way we came in?"

"No, we'll go to the lower basement, there should be another set of pipes down there." Luke said.

"More water pipes?" Artemis asked. Luke shook his head.

"Sewers," Luke said, everyone groaned in disgust. We followed Luke down a level into the lower basement.

"How far to the pipes?" I asked. Luke pointed to the end of the hallway, but then he stopped as he stared at a door on the right side. Light leaked beneath the door. Someone was down here. They would certainly hear all of us, if we broke into the sewer system to escape. "We need to take out whoever is down here." Artemis and her hunters stepped forward.

"We'll take care of them." Artemis said, as Zoe and the hunters followed her toward the door. Zoe and the hunters setup outside the door with their bows at the ready. Artemis stood in front of the door and knocked. Clarisse and I had our spears at the ready, while Luke held his sword. The door opened revealing a dark haired man with a beard. His hair was greying on the sides and his beard had some grey streaks as well. His eyes were grey and there was definitely something familiar about him. His eyes grew wide as the hunters aimed their bows at him. He raised his hands in the air, he looked at Artemis and smiled.

"Does the master need something my lady?" The man asked.

"The master?" Artemis asked.

"Yes, master Loki, wasn't my map accurate enough?" The man asked. What map?

"Who are you?" Artemis asked curiously.

"I am Daedalus, master inventor for the great Lord Loki." Daedalus said. He's my son. I walked up quickly and when Daedalus saw me, he fell to his knees in fear.

"Mother, why are you here?" He asked, his body was almost shaking with fear. I remembered the curse I placed on him after he killed his own nephew Perdix, but I also remembered the old man who had lost his son Icarus in a terrible accident. I wasn't sure how to feel about him.

"We are here for the Eye of Odin." I said. Daedalus looked at me curiously.

"Why?" He asked.

"Never mind that, why are you working for Loki, he has made a deal with Kronos?" I asked sternly. Daedalus looked at me curiously.

"Kronos, no the master wants to help me, mother he wants me to invent things for the good of humanity, to redeem myself." Daedalus said.

"Loki is the god of tricksters and evil; you cannot trust him son." I said. Daedalus shook his head a few times and looked at me in shock and despair.

"Mother, why are you here?" Daedalus said. He was under a spell, he had to be.

"It's alright son, the titans wish to use the labyrinth to destroy Camp Half Blood." I said. Daedalus's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Oh no, I created a map for him, how could I be so stupid?" Daedalus said.

"You were under a spell; can you take us to the labyrinth. The camp sent a quest into the maze, my daughter Annabeth is leading it." I said.

"Follow me, there's a doorway in this workshop." Daedalus said. Everyone walked in, except for Artemis and me.

"How can he still be alive, he'd be two thousand years old?" Artemis asked.

"I believe that he found a way to transfer his soul into an automaton." I said. Artemis's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Incredible," Artemis said.

"Yes, but I doubt that Uncle Hades would think so." I said. Artemis nodded as we walked into the workshop. The room was filled with tables and bookshelves. The tables were stacked with tools, materials and other equipment. It was a real mess.

"Mother, I'm sorry, this isn't my workshop, its too messy." Daedalus said. I gave my son a reassuring nod. I held so much anger toward him over the years, but I did feel sorry for him in some ways. Daedalus walked over to the far wall of the workshop. He placed his hand on the wall and a delta symbol appeared. He touched the symbol with his had and an opening in the wall appeared. I peered into the tunnel, and then I looked back at Daedalus.

"Can you take us to find my daughter and her friends?" I asked. Daedalus nodded, and then he beckoned us to follow him. We walked into the great maze, I only hope that Annabeth is alive and well.

* * *

><p><em>City of Valhalla, The Realm of Asgard<em>

**Percy's POV**

I've been training with Mjolnir and my armor for a whole day now. It turns out that I can turn Mjolnir into any weapon I choose, but the base form of the weapon is the most powerful.

"Percy, let's continue training with the armor." Thor said. I concentrated on my armor and I began to float into the air. "Remember, the armor allows you to fly on your own, no need of wind currents. The armor is also indestructible. Your armor makes you nearly invincible, my boy." I flew forward through the courtyard on the outside of the great hall. The armor allowed me to fly at incredible speeds. Thor told me that the armor contained a spell that made it immune to the affects of gravity. I finally landed on the courtyard near my uncle. "Well done my boy."

"Thank you, uncle." I said.

"Now we must train you on the use of Mjolnir." Thor said.

"Uncle, you said that Mjolnir has magic as well as incredible power." I said.

"Yes, it does have incredible power, it can control weather, it can cut through anything, plus its not called the crusher for nothing." Thor said.

"What about the magic?" I asked.

"Mjolnir can look at the other realms, anywhere within the nine worlds. The weapons can also transport you to any of the realms." Thor said.

"I thought that the realms were closed off." I said.

"They were, but when Hecate used the Eye of Odin, she opened up the realms to transport. The Eye is still important, it will allow you, my boy, to transport to a specific location on Midgard." Thor said.

"That's why you asked my sisters to find it?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, let's hope they succeeded, now back to training." Thor said. I hope they're unharmed as well.

_**AN: We learned some more about Mjolnir and Percy's armor, plus it appears that the quest and the mission for the Eye are coming closer together, they're both in the labyrinth now. I had some requests to show a image of the new Mjolnir, this image shows the design, but the not the sea green aura. Also, I have a request or two for a new story. If you review, please let me know, if you would like for me to attempt to write a Son of Neptune story. I have an idea for a different take on the story, especially regarding the Percy-Annabeth dynamic. If I get an overwhelming number of positive responses, I will plan that story once Cybernetic Hero is complete. As always, stay tuned, more to come.**_


	11. Demigod Gladiators

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 11: Demigod Gladiators

_Fortress of Antaeus – In the labyrinth_

**Thalia's POV**

We received the list of opponents and for some reason Antaeus allowed us to choose our adversaries. He even seemed alright with us fighting in pairs. I guess he thought that we would die quickly since we couldn't use our godly powers. I looked at the fight sheet in my hand before I handed it over to the guard.

Nico and Bianca versus a Empousa and a Draecona

Annabeth and Tyson versus a Laestrygonian and a Chimera

Jason and Thalia versus a Minotaur and a Nemean Lion

The guard took the paper and walked off. A few moments later the guards returned and escorted us to the arena. We were placed in a holding cell that had a perfect view of the arena floor. We would be able to see the fights in the arena.

A guard walked in and pointed toward Nico and Bianca. "Time to die, little ones," The guard said, as he directed his other guards to remove Nico and Bianca from the cage. My heart felt like it was in my throat as I watched them lead my friends away. Nico nodded toward me encouragingly, but I was still scared for him. Jason put his arm around me and squeezed me reassuringly.

"They'll be ok sis." Jason said. I gave him a small smile, as I nodded trying to make myself feel better. "Hey, where are Rachel and Grover?" I looked around unable to find them.

"They never joined us on our trip to this cell." Annabeth said. I looked back into the arena from our vantage point to see two familiar people sitting in the stands only a few feet from where Antaeus and Ethan sat. I looked behind Grover and Rachel to see three guards with crossbows; their weapons were aimed at Grover and Rachel.

"Those bastards," I said. Jason and Annabeth both looked at me worriedly. I pointed toward Grover and Rachel. "They're going to use them as hostages. They want to make sure that we fight."

The arena filled with cheers and screams as Bianca and Nico stood in the center, awaiting their opponents. I looked up toward Antaeus as he introduced their opponents. An Empousa walked out dressed in armor and carrying a six foot long pike. Standing next to her was a dragon women, she wore leather armor that contrasted greatly with her green scaly skin. She held a spear in one hand with a net made of celestial bronze wire in the other.

Nico held his Stygian iron sword in one hand and a celestial bronze shield in the other. Bianca carried her Stygian iron spear, it was a gift from her father. She held a shield in her other hand. The twins of Hades readied themselves for the fight. Bianca paired herself against the dragon woman, while Nico stood in front of the Empousa.

The Empousa lunged forward with her pike, but Nico swatted it away with his shield. Nico swiped at the monster with his sword, but the Empousa was too fast for him. She spun to the side and used the butt of her pike to trip Nico. He fell to the ground and my breath caught in my throat. The Empousa drove her pike toward Nico's chest, but he spun to the side. The pike imbedded itself in the tough dirt of the arena floor. Nico took the opportunity as he swung his sword cutting off the hoofed leg of the Empousa. The monster screamed in pain and fury. She tried to stand up on one leg, but it was too late, Nico was on his feet in a flash. He swung his sword in a tight arc slicing through the shoulder of the monster. The Empousa's eyes widened with shock before she erupted into a cloud of dust.

I watched as Nico looked towards his sister. My eyes widened as I saw Bianca on the ground, she was ensnared in the wire net. The dragon lady's spear was held at Bianca's throat. Before the dragon lady could react Nico's sword flew through the air hitting the spear perfectly, breaking it in two. Bianca cut through the net with her dagger, and then she thrust her spear up and into the abdomen of the dragon lady. The monster dissolved into a cloud of dust. Nico helped Bianca up on her feet, as the crowd erupted into furious cheers. The guards led Nico and Bianca back to us.

"Good job, dead boy." I said, as they entered the cell. Nico gave me a wide smile. Bianca walked over and hugged her brother.

"Thanks, Nici." Bianca said, as Nico rolled his eyes at his nickname.

"I like dead boy better." Nico quipped. Bianca and I laughed at that.

The guards walked back to our cell. They entered and escorted Annabeth and Tyson to the arena. "Good luck, you two." I said. Annabeth and Tyson both nodded solemnly. Annabeth held her knife in her right hand with a shield strapped to her left arm. Tyson carried a large club with metal spikes that he had forged into it. They both stood in the arena until their opponent arrived. The Laestrygonian walked in holding a long staff made of celestial bronze. He wore loose clothes with no armor. The Chimera stalked into the arena without any weapons, it didn't need them. The Chimera's body was weapon enough. The creature had the head of a male lion with huge teeth. It had the body of a goat with a tail that was a snake. The snake's head flattened like a cobra and you could almost see the venom drip out of its mouth. The lion's mouth opened and a plume of fire shot out about six feet into the air. This monster was no push over. I watched as Annabeth spoke to Tyson. Tyson walked over and stood across from the Chimera, while Annabeth stood across from the Laestrygonian.

The Laestrygonian swung his staff at Annabeth, but she dove, and then rolled along the ground. She dodged the giant's strikes as she maneuvered for a quick strike with her knife. Her movements were fluid, but calculated. She was the greatest knife fighter I had ever seen. I knew her fight might take a while as finesse fought brute strength.

I looked over at Tyson; the Chimera's lion head looked straight at the Cyclops, and then its mouth opened firing a blast of flame toward my friend. Tyson just walked straight through the flames, completely unharmed. I smiled at how Cyclops were immune to fire and heat. The snake tail struck forward at incredible speed, but Tyson moved quickly too. He grabbed the snake head with his left hand. The snake's eyes rolled back into its head as Tyson crushed its skull. Before the Chimera could acknowledge the danger Tyson swung down with his club directly on the back of the creature, even from where we stood I could hear the sickening crack of the creature's spinal column. The monster disappeared in a cloud of dust.

I looked towards Annabeth as she just barely dodged another swing of the giant's staff. Tyson yelled from the other side of the arena and the Laestrygonian turned his gaze away from Annabeth for just a moment, but that was plenty of time for her to strike. She ran forward just as the giant turned back toward her. The giant had no time to react as Annabeth threw her knife at a perfect angle; the blade cut through the creature's throat and imbedded itself up to the hilt. The giant's eyes widened in surprise before it burst into a mound of dust. The crowd erupted again into shots and cheers. Annabeth and Tyson were escorted back to our cell.

Once Annabeth entered, I hugged her tightly. "Way to go, brain." I said. Annabeth smiled at her nickname.

"Thanks, I couldn't have done it without Ty." Annabeth said, as she smiled at our friend. Tyson's face grew red and he smiled at all of us.

"Anniebeth is good fighter." Tyson said. We all chuckled at Tyson's nickname for her. We were all broken away from our conversation by the guards unlocking our cell door. The two guards motioned toward Jason and me. My brother and I followed the guards toward the arena. Jason wore his Roman armor and his gladius was in his hand. I held my spear in one hand with Aegis strapped to my left arm. We walked into the arena side by side.

"I'll take the lion." I told Jason. He nodded as he stood opposite the Minotaur. I stood across from the Nemean lion. The monster bared his teeth at me. The signal was given and the lion jumped toward me. I held Aegis in front of me, but the lion just rammed into it sending me toward the ground. The magic of the shield had no effect on the monster. I set my spear into the ground just as the lion jumped again. The spear point struck the creature's stomach, but the blade just bounced off. I used the spear to push the lion away from me. I stood up quickly, holding my shield out defensively.

I heard a loud noise; I saw Jason with his sword stuck in the back of the Minotaur's neck. The monster dissolved into dust. Jason yelled at the lion. The creature turned towards my brother and roared. The noise was so loud that it shook the arena. I saw Jason's eyes widen in shock. I had to do something. I threw my spear and it struck the monster in its backside. The lion turned towards me, its eyes glowed with hate. All I had was my shield now. The lion ran towards me and right before it could pounce on me, Jason threw his sword. The sword struck the lion in the side of the head. The lion shook his head instinctively. That gave me enough time to run towards Jason. Jason held my spear in his hand. I looked around for something to help us, and then I saw the gate to the arena. The door to the arena was the size of a loading dock and had a large celestial bronze gate that was suspended in the air by a large chain. I pointed towards the gate and Jason nodded in agreement.

"Hey kitty, over here," I yelled. The lion chased after me and thankfully it completely ignored Jason. I ran just a few feet inside the gate and the lion followed me. Right before the lion was under the gate Jason threw my spear. The spear flew straight and true; I couldn't have been more proud of my brother. The spear cut through the chain that held up the gate, just as the lion came under the massive metal door. The gate crushed the lion to the ground. The creature wasn't dead, but it was trapped under the weight of the gate. Jason tossed me his sword; I walked up the lion as it roared in fear and rage. I plunged the sword into the lion's open mouth and the creature erupted into a plume of dust. Once the dust settled a beautiful coat made of lion skin laid on the ground in front of me. I put the coat on as Jason helped me lift the gate. I walked back into the arena as the crowd erupted in cheers and shouts.

Jason and I stood in the center of the arena as the crowd cheered. Antaeus stood in front of us with a sour look on his face. He lifted his meaty hand; the crowd became eerily quiet.

"Children of Zeus or should I say Jupiter? I commend you both on a well fought battle." Antaeus said. Jason and I just glared at him. "You may rest for today and tomorrow, before we continue with the battles."

"We have a challenge for you." I yelled, Jason looked at me worriedly.

"What challenge?" Antaeus said, as he looked at me curiously.

"My brother and I challenge you to a duel, to the death." I said. A large smile stretched across Antaeus's face.

"I'm immortal, I can't be killed." Antaeus stated mockingly. I glared at him.

"To our death or your incapacitation," I countered. Antaeus began to laugh.

"I agree to your challenge." Antaeus said. Jason and I readied ourselves, as the son of Gaea and Poseidon climbed down into the arena. He didn't wear armor, nor did he carry any weapons. He towered over the two us, just one of his arms was as big around as my waist. "Time to die, little ones," Jason and I both glared at him with our weapons at the ready.

Antaeus lunged forward to try and grab Jason, but my brother spun out of the way. That gave me the chance to drive my spear into Antaeus's side. As I pulled my spear out sand poured out of the wound. I looked at the injury in awe. Antaeus looked down at his wound, and then he smiled at me knowingly. Suddenly, he began to glow and the wound closed up instantly.

"I thought godly powers wouldn't work?" I asked, as Jason helped me to my feet.

"Your godly powers won't work; my powers work just fine." Antaeus said with an evil smile. Jason and I looked at each other; we're in trouble now.

"No one likes a cheater, Antaeus." A voice said from the grandstands. I looked around to see Athena, Artemis, Luke, Clarisse, Zoe and the rest of the hunters. Antaeus looked at them warily, but then he smiled fiendishly.

"No worries my ladies, all of you are welcome to watch our fight." Antaeus said. Suddenly, the people in the stands stood up holding swords, spears and crossbows. My sisters and friends all froze in surprise. "Seize their weapons." The crowd swarmed them and it was too late for them to escape. Their weapons were taken and they were positioned in the front grandstands near the arena. "You all will have perfect seats to watch our fight."

"I'm going to kill you Antaeus." Artemis stated. Antaeus began to laugh.

"Unlike that fool half-brother of mine, you can't kill me, moon goddess." Antaeus said. I knew he was talking about Orion. Artemis's face turned red with anger. She was about to stand up, but Athena put a hand on her shoulder. Artemis sighed in defeat, and then she sat down next to her sister. Jason and I turned toward Antaeus. He looked at us with murder in his eyes. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

><p><em>City of Valhalla – Realm of Asgard<em>

**Percy's POV**

I just completed the opening and closing of a portal to the realm of dwarves. Brokkr and Sindri both left for home. I had grown close to them over the several months here in Asgard. As the portal closed I saw the tired ghostly image of my uncle Thor.

"Uncle, you look tired." I said. Thor looked at me wearily.

"I'm afraid that my time here is short, my boy." Thor said.

"I have much to learn." I said. Thor nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you do, but you must learn these things on your own." Thor stated.

"So it's time for me to go home? I thought I wasn't going back until after the solstice?" I asked. Thor shook his head.

"Not yet, you must learn one more thing, but yes, you will be going home earlier than I originally had assessed." Thor stated.

"What is this last lesson?" I asked curiously.

"You know how to open a portal, but now you must learn to look into other realms. Hold Mjolnir in both hands and stare into the metal of the weapon. Think about the other realm, I think Midgard would be a good choice." Thor instructed.

I concentrated on the metal of Mjolnir; the weapon glowed in my hand. I thought about Earth, and then an image of the planet appeared in front of me. The planet floated in front of me like I was in outer space, in orbit around it.

"Think of someone on the planet." Thor said. At first I thought of Annabeth, but I couldn't stand to see her right now, so I thought of my sister, Thalia. Suddenly, it felt like I was falling towards the planet, and then into the ground. I was in a tunnel or something, and then the image appeared above a fortress of some type. It was underground, but the tunnel or cave seemed to glow with power. I could hear shouts and cheers. I focused on those until I moved forward into the fortress. I came upon a structure that looked like the coliseum in Rome, it was a structure that Annabeth use to talk about. The thought of her made my chest hurt, so I pushed that thought away. As I entered the arena I could see the crowds cheering and yelling. As I came to the edge of the grandstands, I peered over the edge and down into the arena floor. A giant man was fighting two teenagers. I looked at the boy; he was maybe a year younger than me with blonde hair and electric blue eyes, but he wasn't the one that intrigued me. I looked to his left to see a girl she was maybe two years younger than me. She had short spiky black hair and her eyes were the same as the boys, electric blue. Suddenly, I realized that the girl was my sister Thalia. They were fighting the giant man and he was winning. The boy had a black eye and his left arm hung at his side like it was broken or dislocated. Thalia was limping visibly and holding her side. They could barely hold their weapons up in defense.

"They're in trouble. I have to help them." I said anxiously. I stated the ancient Norse prayer as my armor and helmet covered my body. I held Mjolnir in my hand; I could feel the power course through my body.

"Good luck my boy. May the all-father be with you, always." Thor said. A bright light erupted from Mjolnir as a portal appeared in front of me. The portal looked like a whirlpool of air, light and energy. It swirled faster and faster.

"Thank you for everything uncle," I said before I walked into the portal.

* * *

><p><em>Antaeus's Fortress – The Labyrinth<em>

**Athena's POV**

We watched helplessly as Jason and Thalia fought bravely, but in futility. Antaeus was too strong for them. Artemis and I were powerless to help as our godly powers wouldn't work within this fortress. Jason and Thalia were injured and now Antaeus had them cornered. I couldn't look, but then I felt something pulse in my pocket, it was the Eye of Odin. I took the gem from pocket; it glowed with a rainbow of colors. The energy coming from it grew in power as each second passed.

"What's happening to it?" Artemis asked worriedly.

"I don't know." I said, frustrated that I didn't know the answer.

"Could a portal be opening?" Artemis asked. Could she be right, but Thor said the day after the solstice? I could feel the power grow, and then the weight of the gem became heavier and heavier. I had to decide quickly. I hope this works I thought. I threw the gem into the arena. It landed in front of Thalia and Jason. Antaeus turned toward us with an evil glint in his eyes.

"No one likes a sore loser goddess," Antaeus said sarcastically. Suddenly, the gem erupted into a whirlpool of light, energy and air. The vortex spun around faster and faster until a bright light exploded. Antaeus jumped back from the eruption, while the rest of us held our hands over our eyes. The light finally subsided, but in the place of the vortex was a tall man. He was well over six feet and he wore the most beautiful armor I had ever seen. He had a helmet on his head with wings that extended from the sides. He held a weapon in his hand that was a cross between a hammer, an axe and a mace. The weapon pulsed with incredible power. Antaeus was completely shocked. "Who are you?"

The man looked up at him. The man's face was obscured by the helmet, but he had sea green eyes, could it be him?

"You will leave my sister alone." The man said. I watched as Thalia and Jason stared up at the armored man in wonder.

Antaeus lunged toward the armored man, but he was too quick. The armored warrior struck Antaeus in the chest with his weapon. Antaeus exploded into a mound of sand. The sand began to glow, and then it began to reform into the tyrant. The armored man's weapon began to glow. A small tornado erupted in the middle of the arena; the cyclone pulled in all of the sand and carried it into the air. The tornado hovered above the arena, and then massive bolts of lightning shot forward from the weapon. The cyclone was completely surround in a wave of lightning. Electricity pulsed through the tornado until the cyclone floated back towards the ground. When the winds stopped, all that was left of Antaeus was a pile of glass on the floor of the arena.

The arena was completely quiet, until Ethan stood up and looked at the armored warrior and said, "Who are you?" The warrior stepped forward, and then he took off his helmet. We all gasped when we saw him and Ethan was frozen in surprise and fear.

"I am blessed warrior of the all-father, the heir to thunderer, wielder of Mjolnir, the last son of Asgard, the legacy of the Aesir, the son of Poseidon, the adopted son of Zeus and Hera, and I'm, Perseus Achilles Jackson, the champion of Olympus." Percy said. Suddenly, hundreds of arrows flew towards Percy, but he held out Mjolnir and the arrows stopped in mid-air, and then fell to the ground. Ethan and Chris both fled the arena along with the rest of the audience. We all jumped down from the grandstands to approach Percy. When Percy saw us, he smiled triumphantly. "I guess I'm early, huh?"

_**AN: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. This week has been crazy. The longest chapter yet, I hope that makes up for being so late. Stay tuned, more to come.**_


	12. The Power of Thor

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 12: The Power of Thor

_Antaeus's Fortress – The Labyrinth_

**Athena's POV**

When Percy saw us, he smiled triumphantly. "I guess I'm early, huh?" Percy held Mjolnir in his hand, and then his eyes glowed causing the weapon to glow in turn. A burst of light emanated from the weapon and when it cleared Mjolnir and Percy's armor were gone. Percy stood in front of us; he wore a blue shirt with pale blue jeans with blue converse. He was a little shorter without his armor, but what confused me was that Mjolnir was not in his hand anymore. Percy must have seen our confused faces, so he held up his right hand. A sea green ring was on his hand and it glowed just like Mjolnir, and then I realized the ring was Mjolnir. He placed his left hand on his large belt buckle that was in the shape of a hammer, the buckle glowed sea green just like the armor. Before he could react, Artemis and I had already crushed him in a bear hug, but it didn't seem to faze him. I realized that Percy had not only grown a few inches in height, but he had packed on at least twenty pounds of muscle. "Are you two trying to crush your little brother?" Percy looked at us with an amused grin. Artemis and I both let go of him quickly as we blushed in embarrassment.

"Don't flatter yourself Jackson." Artemis said, but I could tell by the light in her eyes that she was very happy to see him.

"Perseus, you have a lot of explaining to do." I said.

"Percy," Thalia screamed as she hugged him furiously. Thalia cried into his shirt as Jason stood behind her looking uncomfortable. Thalia let go of Percy and he eyed her up and down.

"You look like Tartarus, Thals." He said. Thalia gave him the death glare. Jason cleared his throat making Percy and Thalia turn toward him. "And you are?" Jason stepped forward carefully, his left arm still hung to his side.

"Perce, he's my brother Jason." Thalia stated. Percy's eyes widened, and then a huge smile stretched across his face.

"So you're the Jason Grace?" Percy asked happily.

"Yes, and your really Percy?" Jason answered. Percy gave him is patented crooked smile.

"I sure am little brother." Percy said, as he stepped forward and hugged Jason. Percy was careful not to hurt his injured arm. Jason was completely surprised by Percy's actions, but once they separated Jason wore a huge smile on his face.

"So you're the champion that I've heard so much about." Daedalus said as he stepped forward. I had totally forgotten that he was with us. Percy looked at him carefully, and then somehow, he recognized him.

"You must be Daedalus, I'm not sure if I should be happy to see you or not." Percy stated. Daedalus for his part just looked at Percy warily. Percy looked at me and I gave him a reassuring smile. "If my big sis over here thinks you're ok, then that's good enough for me." Daedalus sighed in relief. Percy stepped forward and the two shook hands.

"I hate to say this, but it's good to see you Prissy." Clarisse said, as she stepped forward. Percy looked at her, and then he gave her a warm smile.

"It's good to see you as well." Percy said, but then his smile vanished as he looked at the young man standing next to her. Luke stood next to the daughter of Ares and for the first time that I could remember, he looked terrified. Percy stepped forward and Clarisse stepped away from Luke, carefully. Percy turned toward me with anger and hatred written all over his face. "What is this damn traitor doing here?" I was taken aback by his anger.

"Percy, he helped us obtain the eye and free Daedalus." I said. Percy looked at Luke again. Luke nodded in agreement with my statement. Percy sighed slightly, but he still didn't look happy. "Keep him away from me." Percy didn't even look at Luke when he said that.

"Percy, I'm sor …" Luke began to say. Percy turned around so quickly that I almost didn't see him do it.

"Don't speak to me son of Hermes, if you value your life." Percy warned. Luke stepped back with his hands in the air. Percy looked around, and then he saw the prison cell just off the arena floor. Annabeth, Nico, Bianca, and Tyson were all clearly visible. They all stared in disbelief at Percy. Percy gave them all a warm smile, but when he looked at Annabeth, his smile faded into a neutral glare. Annabeth's smile vanished at the look Percy gave her. Artemis sent some of her hunters to free them.

Two people jumped down from the grand stands, it was Grover and a red headed girl I had never seen before. Grover ran to Percy and engulfed him in a hug. Percy held his friend, and then they finally released each other after a few seconds.

"It's really you, isn't it?" Grover asked, I could tell he was still confused that Percy was alive. Percy smiled at his best friend.

"Yes G-man, It's me." Percy said. The red headed girl from behind Grover cleared her throat. When Percy saw her, his eyes widened in shock.

"Its you." Percy said. The girl looked at him with an amused smirk on her face.

"I like to be called Rachel, Rachel Elizabeth Dare." Rachel said, as she extended her hand. Percy took her hand carefully, but I could see a hint of pink on his cheeks.

"Sorry, I kinda forgot your name." Percy conceded.

"No worries, it seems that you had a lot going on." Rachel stated. Percy laughed softly at that statement.

"You have no idea." Percy agreed. We heard running from the cell. We turned to see Bianca and Nico sprinting toward Percy. They engulfed him in a bear hug just as he released Rachel's hand.

"Thank the gods your alright." Bianca said. I could see the relief in her eyes.

"I missed you big bro." Nico said. Both Bianca and Nico had tears in their eyes as they held onto Percy. After they finally separated, it was Tyson's turn. He walked over quickly and lifted Percy off the ground. Normally this would have probably broken every bone in a normal person's body, but not Percy. Percy laughed at Tyson's enthusiasm.

"It's ok big guy, I missed you too." Percy said.

"I'm so happy, big brother alive." Tyson stated. The young Cyclops had tears streaming from his eye.

"So am I." Percy agreed. Percy smiled brightly at his little brother. They finally separated after a few moments. As Tyson stepped away, Annabeth walked up to Percy. She would have probably hugged him, but she wasn't sure what his reaction would be after the look he gave her earlier. She stood just a few feet from him with an awkward and tense look on her face.

"I'm so glad your not dead, seaweed brain." Annabeth said. I could tell that she was barely able to contain her tears. Percy just stared at her. Why is he acting this way?

"As I told Tyson, I'm glad to be alive as well." Percy said. Annabeth looked at him expectantly.

"Percy, I need to talk to you in private." Annabeth said. Percy looked at her closely, and then something flashed in his eyes. He looked like he was lost in his own mind for a moment.

"Why don't you go and talk to Luke in private?" Percy asked. Annabeth was frozen in place. A look of complete shock and bewilderment was etched into her facial expression.

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth asked, I could tell she was starting to get angry now.

"I saw how you hung all over each other in the fortress. Everyone knows that you had a crush on him." Percy said. Annabeth just looked completely lost now.

"Luke is like a big brother to Thalia and I, nothing else." Annabeth said. Percy huffed at her statement. Why is he acting this way toward her?

"Percy, why are you acting this way?" I asked with a hint of anger in my voice.

"I don't have time for this argument now. We need to destroy this fortress. The titan army will be back soon to invade the fortress, and then they will head to camp." Percy said. I knew Annabeth wanted to argue more and so did I.

"Perseus is right, we need to act quickly." Artemis said, as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"How do we destroy this place without our powers?" I asked, as everyone turned toward Percy.

"My Olympian powers are blocked, but as you saw, my Norse powers work just fine." Percy said. Artemis and I could tell that the others were completely stunned by Percy's statement.

"What do you mean Norse powers?" Thalia asked curiously.

"That's how I survived the portal in the fortress. My mother was mortal, but she wasn't always that way. She wasn't even human, either." Percy said. Thalia and the rest just stared at him.

"What do you mean, not human?" Annabeth asked. She still looked hurt and angry, but the curiosity was too much for her.

"My mother's name wasn't really Sally Jackson, her name was Skjalf. She was a Valkyrie and the youngest daughter of Odin, the all-father." Percy answered. Everyone's mouth dropped open.

"Your mom was a Norse immortal?" Bianca asked.

"Yes, she was a Valkyrie, the blessed of Odin. She was Odin's favorite daughter. He saw to it that she was left alive here on Earth or Midgard, as the Norse call it. She was the last child of Asgard and would remain immortal until she fell in love." Percy said.

"So, she fell in love with Poseidon and became mortal." Grover said.

"Yes, she also knew about the great prophecy and your plan Athena." Percy revealed. I looked at my little brother in shock.

"How?" I asked.

"The all-father had the sight. He could see the future and his visions were much clearer than Apollo's or his oracles. Odin could see events happen specifically and they always came true. Skjalf knew she would die, if she gave birth to me, but she did it anyway. She knew that I was the only hope of defeating Loki." Percy said.

"I'm sorry Percy, I always blamed myself for her death and now ..." I began. Percy raised his hand, I stopped and watched him closesly.

"I don't blame you sis, especially now. I know the truth, my mother was very brave and to honor her I shall be brave as I fulfill the great prophecy. Now all of you need to leave this place." Percy stated.

"Where do we go?" Thalia asked.

"All of you will come to my workshop, from there we will decide what to do." Daedalus said thoughtfully.

"Perseus, what are you going to do?" Artemis asked.

Percy stepped forward away from all of us, he then began to state a prayer in the language of the Norse. His belt buckle began to glow until Percy was once again adorned in his armor. Percy raised his right hand in the air, and then he stated another Norse prayer. The ring on his hand began to glow, until Mjolnir appeared. Percy held the weapon in his hand, and then he looked at all of us.

"I will show this world what it has missed for almost a thousand years. The power of the thunderer." Percy said, as clouds began to appear in the air above the fortress. Clouds and lightning in the labyrinth, Daedalus stood with his mouth agape. I grabbed my son's arm as the rest of us fled from the arena.

"Incredible," Daedalus said in wonder. I snapped my fingers in front of his face. He shook his head before he looked at me.

"Sorry mother, everyone follow me." He said, as the rest of us ran after him. We eventually made it through the other side of the fortress. We stood a hundred yard or so from the fortress, as we looked at the massive storm that brewed above the once ominous stronghold of Antaeus.

The storm intensified as lightning struck the wooden structures setting them ablaze. Several tornados extended from the air above the fortress until dozens of cyclones destroyed the stone and metal structures inside the stronghold. Suddenly, explosions of Greek fire could be heard as lightning struck the massive armory of the fortress. The fortress exploded with the force of an atom bomb. We fell to our knees as a massive shockwave shook the labyrinth itself. Eventually, the shaking and the explosions ceased. All that remained of the fortress was a smouldering pile of debris that was at least fifty feet tall. It blocked the path into the labyrinth, it would take a day or two to clear a path for the titan army to proceed. We all stared at the destruction that laid behind us, until I felt a movement in the air above us. We all turned toward the sky to see Percy flying towards us. His battle armor glowed a beautiful sea green. He eventually landed in front of us, and then his body glowed brightly. Once the light subsided, Percy stood in front of us, no longer wearing his armor or wielding Mjolnir.

Percy strode up to us; he looked tired, but also energized somehow. I looked at my little brother closely and said, "Are you ok?" Percy gave me a reassuring smile.

"It can be taxing to use the power and magics of Asgard, but I'll be fine." Percy said. Percy looked toward Daedalus. "Lead on nephew." Percy gave the old inventor an amused smile, which Daedalus returned eagerly.

"Follow me, uncle," Daedalus said amusedly.

_**AN: I know a shorter chapter, but it is a fairly quick turn around. I'm in search of a beta for this story and for Cybernetic hero, if anyone is interested please let me know. Stay tuned, more to come.**_


	13. Confessions

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 13: Confessions 

_The Labyrinth_

**Percy's POV**

We had been walking through the labyrinth for hours, with Daedalus and the mortal girl Rachel leading us through the passageways. Thalia had told me that Rachel was a clear sighted mortal and that she had been their guide through the maze. That was how she was able to see that monster at the Hoover Dam. I walked at the rear of the group, not far from Athena, Artemis, and the hunters. The hunters kept their distance, but it wasn't because I was a boy; I think it had more to do with my powers. I guess they were afraid of me. I felt more like a freak than ever before. We suddenly came to a stop and Daedalus motioned for our attention.

"We'll rest here for the night. Tomorrow morning we will arrive at my workshop," Daedalus said. Everyone started to setup places to sleep.

I walked over to sit near Thalia and Jason, but my big sisters had different plans. Artemis and Athena grabbed my arms and dragged me away from the others, but not too far. We didn't want to get lost in the maze. I looked at my sisters closely; they both glared at me intensely. I could feel the hurt and anger emanating from them. "What's going on?" I asked, hoping to avoid a confrontation.

"You shut up until we tell you to talk," Artemis ordered. Athena smiled at her sister fiendishly. They led me to a dimly lit portion of the labyrinth. They threw me against the wall of the tunnel and I barely avoid hitting my head on the rock wall.

"Hey! What are we doing here?" I asked worriedly. They both glared at me, I could see the conflicting emotions reflected in their eyes.

Athena paced in front of me as Artemis stood behind her giving me the death glare. Athena stopped in front of me and I could almost feel the waves of anger emanating from her body. "You better have a good explanation for what you did back there. If it was anyone else I would have incinerated them already. Luke and Annabeth are not together. Annabeth has missed you terribly. I can't believe anyone can be as oblivious as you," Athena said angrily.

I looked down at the ground. I sighed deeply as I ran my hand down the rough rock wall against my back. I looked up at my big sister and said, "I know that."

A look of surprise crossed her face. "What do you mean, you know?"

"I guess… I felt jealous. She had such a crush on him when we were younger," I tried to explain. My palms were sweating. I hated talking about this stuff. "Then I realized Luke was more like an older brother to her."

Athena's anger returned and for a moment I thought she would smack me silly, but she didn't. "Why did you accuse her?" Athena asked. Her face was no longer held as much pent up rage. She was mad, but now she was curious as well. Artemis stepped closer; her eyes were narrowed, as if she was waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting prey.

"You don't understand. It's better this way. I was hoping that she would get angry with me, and then forget about me. I only have a little over a year left," I said sadly. Athena and Artemis just stared at me. My answer confused them, and then I saw a light shine in Athena's eyes.

"This is about the prophecy. You still think you're going to die at sixteen," Athena accused. I nodded in agreement. "You know that prophecies can't be taken literally. They don't always mean what we think."

"I know, but that's not the main reason. Do you remember what I said about Odin and his visions?" I asked pointedly.

"You said his visions were more accurate than Apollo and his prophecies," Artemis said, as she stepped forward. She stood next to her sister. She gave me a stern look, but it wasn't threatening. I knew she didn't like men or boys, but she was giving me a chance to explain myself.

"Odin passed his power down to me," I said. Athena and Artemis both looked at me closely.

Athena gave me a thoughtful glance and asked, "You saw yourself die?"

"Yes, Loki had Kronos's scythe, and I... I watched him stab me in the chest with it," I said, I sat on the ground as the vision filled me with dread. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, Artemis and Athena were sitting in front of me.

"That's why you're pushing Annabeth away?" Artemis asked. I nodded, unable to speak for fear of breaking down.

"I can't put her through that. Better if she hated me now, so she couldn't be even more hurt when I die," I explained. Artemis looked at me sadly and just for a moment I could tell she was remembering something painful from her past, most likely the pain of Orion's death. Athena on the other hand just glared at me.

"Your fatal flaw is destroying your life and the life of my daughter," Athena declared. I looked at her closely trying to determine how angry she was.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Athena sighed in frustration and said, "Annabeth is very smart. Don't you think she should decide on her own? You've made the decision for her and I know for a fact that she hates that. You need to talk to her and stop acting like an idiot before your relationship is over."

Was she right? Was I being selfish? Realization washed through me. I was acting to protect her and instead I hurt her.

I sighed and lowered my head in defeat. "I'm such a dumb ass," I muttered, eliciting amused grins from my big sisters. "I'm glad this amuses both of you so," I groaned sarcastically. Artemis and Athena began to laugh at me, the sound echoing off the walls of the labyrinth. I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself in it. Finally, they both settled down.

"What are you going to do now?" Artemis asked.

"I don't know," I admitted softly, trying to build up my courage. Artemis smirked at my unease. "I guess I'll ask her to forgive me… and then tell her everything."

"I can't believe that you'll fight all kinds of titans and monsters, but you're afraid of one daughter of Athena," Artemis said, as she looked at Athena with her amused grin.

"Any daughter of mine is definitely something to fear," Athena declared proudly. I rolled my eyes.

"And before you say something about your feelings," Artemis said with a smirk, "We both saw the letter you wrote her. It was pretty good for a boy."

"She showed you the letter?" I asked in disbelief. Athena nodded. "That was personal. Why would she show you?"

"She thought you were dead. She wanted me to hear what you had to say," Athena said. I looked at her, and then I felt really self-conscious.

"Did she show my mom?" I asked warily, hoping that she hadn't. A wicked smile spread across Athena's face.

"She wanted Hera to see it; they thought you were dead, too," Athena defended. I slumped down further onto the ground.

"Mom's probably already planning the wedding," I said. Athena and Artemis began to laugh again.

"I doubt that, since she thinks you're dead," Artemis rationalized.

"Neither of you are making me feel better. Everyone else thinks that I'm dead," I said.

"You know, we're very happy you're alive?" Athena said reassuringly, Artemis nodded.

"I know. I'll get to see all of them soon enough, at least," I said, and then realized something. "Why are you both here? Annabeth and the others are on a quest. I thought you were prohibited from interfering,"

"We had a mission to find the Eye of Odin, remember?" Athena asked.

"How did you end up in the same place as them?" I asked.

"We found Daedalus. He suggested that we use the labyrinth as a means of transportation. We came across them in the arena," Artemis explained. I nodded.

"Will you keep traveling with us?" I asked. Athena and Artemis both looked at each other, communicating through telepathy.

"No. We'll have to return soon. I take it that you are joining the quest?" Athena said.

"Of course, I'm a big three kid, remember?" I said with a smile. Athena rolled her eyes.

"I remember," Athena said. Artemis stood up. Athena and I looked at her curiously.

"What's wrong?" I asked confusedly.

"We should go back," Artemis said, and I could tell that something was bothering her. Athena and I stood up to join her. Artemis darted around the corner, and then I heard two familiar voice yelling. Artemis returned with two teenage girls in tow. Annabeth and Thalia both had dangerous frowns on their faces, but they looked more surprised, than angry.

"You two were spying on us," Athena accused. Artemis held both of them by their jacket collars. Athena gave Artemis an approving nod, and Annabeth and Thalia stumbled forward as they were released.

"Sorry mom, but we couldn't help it," Annabeth said sincerely. Thalia rolled her eyes in disgust.

"I can mind my own business, but the brain here is pretty nosy," Thalia said. Artemis smiled, while Annabeth scowled at Thalia and Athena rolled her eyes at her daughter and sister. I cleared my throat, and everyone to turn towards me. I met Annabeth's gaze, barely acknowledging the others.

"We need to check on the others. Thalia can help us gather fire wood on our way back," Athena said. Artemis and Athena held onto Thalia, as they dragged her out of the tunnel. Annabeth and I just stared at each other for a moment, until I couldn't stand it anymore.

"How much did you hear?" I asked pointedly. Annabeth shrugged her shoulders noncommittally, but then she just glared at me. I knew what I had to do.

"I'm sorry that I accused you of being with Luke. I'm sorry that I tried to push you away." Annabeth looked at me closely. Her intense glare subsided leaving only sadness.

"Do you know how much it hurt to think you were dead?"

"I don't know what to say other than I'm sorry. I wish I could have contacted you from Asgard," I said.

"Did you mean what you said about your reasons for avoiding me?"

"You mean the vision?" I asked. Annabeth nodded. "Yeah, I saw myself die. I know Athena is right, though. You need to choose what's best for you." Annabeth looked at me, and then shook her head.

"You really think that I would try to forget about you? Do you think I could ever forget what you said in that letter?"

"I don't know. I don't want you to be hurt," I admitted. Annabeth stepped forward, and then she punched me square in the jaw. It hurt, but I was more surprised than anything else.

"What was that for?" I asked angrily. Annabeth gave me a sly grin.

"That's for trying to get rid of me."

"I guess I deserved it." I admitted. Her eyes brightened and I could see her anger melt away. She stepped forward quickly. I thought she might hit me again, but she surprised me again. She wrapped her arms around me in a bear hug, and I hugged her back.

"What's this for?" We separated, but only stood a few feet apart.

"That's for not being dead." I grabbed both of her hands and held them tightly.

"I missed you Wise Girl." Annabeth smiled at me happily- the first happy smile that I had seen from her since returning.

"Did you mean what you said in the letter?"

I definitely wasn't prepared for that question. I looked down at my feet nervously. My mind was racing. My throat felt like it was closing up. What in Hades name was wrong with me?

"Well, I… I mean… You know… Ah, crap…" Annabeth laughed at my stupidity.

"I see that getting your Norse abilities hasn't stopped you from being a Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. She looked at me again expectantly.

I took a deep breath and tried to convince my heart and brain to work together for a moment. I looked into her eyes and whatever I saw gave me courage.

"I love you, Annabeth."

Annabeth's mouth popped open in surprise, and then a huge smile spread across her face. I pulled her closer to me, until our lips were only inches apart. Her cheeks turned red and I could feel my face heat up, too. I leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. It felt like my brain was melting inside my skull. We pulled apart after what seemed like days. Our foreheads touched and we were both breathing heavily. Her breath on my face made my skin tingle.

"I love you, too, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said. I felt like I could fly away with her. Come to think of it, I probably could have, except for the fact that we were underground.

She pulled away from my embrace a minute later. "Come on, let's go find the others." I nodded as we walked back to the camp site hand in hand.

* * *

><p><em>Black Fortress – Mount Othrys<em>

**Third Person's POV**

Hecate walked around her workshop worriedly. She stared at the empty safe that once held the Eye of Odin. A knock on the door broke her away from her thoughts. She hurried over and opened the door to reveal Loki himself. He smiled his devious grin.

"Loki, how can I help you?" Hecate asked. Loki walked around her workshop. He picked up a few potions absentmindedly before placing them back on the table. He turned toward her with a concerned look on his face.

"Did they take anything?" Loki asked.

"They took the Eye of Odin," Hecate said. Loki stared into her eyes for a moment with an unreadable expression on his face. Hecate looked away nervously.

"Daedalus is missing, too." Loki added. Hecate stared at him in surprise. "Only a god could have broken my hold on his mind."

"Any god?" Hecate asked. Loki looked at her with his piercing gaze.

"They would have to be a god with a very strong and disciplined mind," Loki elaborated.

"Athena," Hecate suggested. Loki nodded.

"That accursed goddess will pay for this," Loki said. He continued to pace around the workshop.

"You seem agitated. Nervous, even," She examined. Loki came to a halt over by a table covered in different ingredients for potions.

"Tomorrow is the solstice. The merging is close."

"You're worried about something going wrong?"

"Not really," Loki said cautiously. "I'm worried that I'll never get to tell you how I feel." Hecate's eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open slightly. Loki came to stand directly in front of her, only a few feet away. She could see his dark eyes swirling into a mysterious darkness that seemed to swallow all light.

"Tell me what?" Hecate asked, after a few seconds of disorientation. Loki smiled at her, seemingly genuine and sincere.

"The last few months working with you have been incredible. I feel a strong connection to you, Hecate. I think I'm falling for you." Hecate just stared at him in surprise. Loki stepped forward and held her shoulders tenderly, and she didn't even try to break away from his grasp. They were both very close now, only a foot apart.

"I don't want to forget you, but I'm afraid I will lose myself in the merging," Loki said.

"Only two powerful magical forces could hope to purge one mind from the other, during a merging." Hecate said. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why are you worried about this now?"

Loki stared at the goddess closely, as if he was trying to read her mind. "I don't want to be lost in the merging, that's all." Loki defended; his eyes seemed to pulse with a hidden power.

"You don't expect me to betray Lord Kronos, do you?" Hecate asked incredulously. Loki hung his head.

"No, I don't. I'm sorry that I even thought of it. I just want to be with you. Is that so terrible?" His gaze was pleading, but some kind of energy surged through his irises. Hecate's eyes widened slightly and seemed to darken as her suspicious expression faded.

"I'm so… sorry my lord. I would like… to be with you… as well. I have strong… feelings for you, too." Hecate admitted, but her eyes seemed to glaze over as she spoke. Loki smiled down at her happily. Loki leaned down and kissed the goddess passionately.

Suddenly, an aura of darkness surrounded Hecate, and then began to flow into Loki. Hecate struggled under his grip, but she wasn't strong enough to break free. More and more of her power flowed into the god of evil. Loki broke the kiss, and Hecate fell to the floor. Her eyes were open, but she was paralyzed, unable to move. She looked up at the god that stood over her. He smirked down at her evilly.

"Never underestimate me, Hecate. The Aesir did, and they suffered the consequences. Thank you for confirming my hypothesis. Your powers feel incredible." Loki knelt down beside her and placed his hands over her body. His hands began to burn with bright red flames, which consumed her body. The flames burned her until nothing was left but black ash blowing across the floor.

Loki walked out of the workshop with a demented smile on his face. The two Cyclops guards studied the god carefully as he passed. "Don't worry if she doesn't come out for a while. I think all the stress has burned her out."

_**AN: Sorry for the late update, too much going on. A big shout out and thank you to my Beta, Starlit Reader. I do appreciate everyone else who offered to be a Beta for me, but I think you'll all agree that Starlit is great. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, so stay tuned more to come.**_


	14. Darkness Rises

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 14: Darkness Rises

_Black Fortress – Mount Othrys_

**Third Person POV**

The dark peak of Mount Othrys was covered in near-black clouds that swirled around the ancient home of the Titans. Lightning flashed and thunder shook the peak, but the massive black fortress stood strong amongst the biting winds and pouring rain. The sun was barely visible through the dark clouds, but one could easily determine that the sun was rising to its highest point in the summer sky.

Throngs of monsters, demigods, gods and Titans crowded into the main throne room of the mighty fortress. In the center of the throne room sat the twelve thrones of the Titans. At the head was the largest throne, made of the same black stone as the fortress and emblazoned with the image of a blood red scythe. Just down from the throne was a golden sarcophagus, large enough for two people to occupy, that was covered in ancient Greek lettering. The symbols combined to form ancient spells of resurrection and healing, which would be used to channel the power of the coffin into its inhabitants.

A tall figure with glowing skin and smoldering eyes walked up and sat down at the throne to the right of the largest throne. He was clad in golden armor and held a golden spear in his hand. His throne had the emblem of a golden spear with rays of light shining down on it from above; it was the throne of the Titan Hyperion. Hyperion sat down and motioned for the others to proceed. More Titans stepped forward. Iapetus descended onto the throne to the left of the largest one. His son Prometheus sat to his left. After a few minutes, all the thrones but one were occupied. The largest throne remained empty.

With Hecate missing, the ancient spell of resurrection would be conducted by Nemesis, the goddess of revenge. She stepped forward. She was clad in black armor that matched the color of her long raven hair. Her piercing eyes and the ebony wings that extended from her back only intensified her persona.

She stepped down toward the sarcophagus. A giant Cyclops stepped forward, his single red eye fixed on the golden sarcophagus, and pushed off the lid carefully. The Cyclops stepped back to allow the goddess to approach. Nemesis stood at the head of the sarcophagus. She turned looked off to the side of the thrones.

A man about twelve feet tall dressed in golden armor stepped out. He carried a long golden staff in his hand. The staff was adorned with the head of king cobra with gleaming, jeweled eyes. The man had short jet black hair and his eyes were a deep onyx color. He was the Norse god Loki.

He stepped forward without an expression on his face. He approached the sarcophagus and gave a slight nod to the goddess. Nemesis motioned for him to enter the sarcophagus.

Loki peered down into the coffin, his eyes wandering to the several bundles wrapped in an ornate red cloth with a black scythe embroidered on the material. These were the remnants of Kronos. The Titans and their allies had painstakingly searched and recovered these pieces so that their lord could rise again. Loki smirked discreetly at the sight, and his lips twitched, as if he was repeating a spell or chant of some type. He stepped into the sarcophagus and lay down. Nemesis motioned toward the Cyclops; the giant stepped forward and grabbed the lid of the coffin, placing it back over the sarcophagus.

The Cyclops retreated into the shadows as Nemesis stepped in front of the coffin. She began to speak in a language older than ancient Greek. The golden symbols began to glow as the goddess chanted. The throne room became deathly quiet and colder, like the heat and energy were being sucked out. Everyone watched the golden coffin closely.

Suddenly, the coffin exploded into a thousand pieces. The crowd yelled and dodged the debris. A large ball of light floated where the coffin once stood. Nemesis stumbled to the side and watched the ball of light in astonishment. The light became brighter and brighter until everyone turned their eyes away, even Hyperion. The light began to pulse wildly until it began to coalesce into a humanoid form.

Finally, the light subsided, allowing everyone to see the person standing in the middle of the throne room. The person looked exactly like Loki, but when he opened his eyes they were gold. The man opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly stopped. His golden eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to his knees with a blood curdling scream. As he opened his mouth a black cloud poured out from his throat.

The black mist formed the dark shape of a face, the image of Kronos. The shape seemed to be in shock as it looked around the room.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Laughter began to reverberate throughout the throne room, first softly, and then louder, echoing off the cold stone walls. Everyone turned their attention toward the source, Loki. Loki raised his head, his black eyes shining brightly with new found power. He looked at the shadowy image of the Titan lord.

"You played right into my hands, Titan," Loki said sinisterly. The Titans on their thrones began to stir, but with one wave of his hand Loki froze time around the Titans. Kronos stared at the Norse god with fury in his ghostly eyes.

"What have you done, traitor?" Kronos asked. Loki stared up at the cloudy figure above him.

"I thought it would be obvious, my lord. I have all your powers and none of your annoying personality," Loki spat.

Kronos's eyes began to glow through the shifting mist. Loki raised his hand and a black aura surrounded the remains of the Titan lord. Kronos stared at him, and for the first time terror entered his eyes.

Loki grinned. "Don't worry; you'll have plenty of company in the great void."

The darkness around the misty image of Kronos began to glow and swirl around in a tight circle. Kronos shrank into a small ball of darkness, and then the ball shot into the sky, headed toward the great void at the center of the universe.

Loki looked around the room; everyone stared at him in awe. The monsters began to yell in frustration and annoyance. The Titans were still frozen in time at their thrones. The demigods stared at the god in the center of the room with a mix of fear and confusion on their faces. Nemesis stared at Loki, unsure of how to approach him.

"Do not fret, my dear," Loki murmured. "I will not hurt you. I still wish to destroy the Olympians, but I could not allow Kronos to control me." Nemesis sighed in relief, and the other minor gods in the room seemed to follow her example.

Loki turned toward the Titans. He waved his hand and time unfroze.

Hyperion was the first to stand up. He looked at Loki in disgust. "You betrayed my brother." Loki gave the Titan of light a mischievous smile.

"What did any of you expect? Did you really think that I would keep my word?" Loki asked mockingly. Hyperion's eyes flashed wildly as fury surged through his body. The other Titans looked angry, but also cautious. They had no idea how powerful Loki was.

Hyperion charged forward with an enraged roar. Loki's eyes began to glow, and then his body morphed into a giant, golden king cobra with blood red eyes. The Titans all looked on in awe. Hyperion skidded to a halt, his wide eyes betraying his apprehension.

The massive snake towered above the Titan, poised to strike. Its golden scales gleamed in the low light of the dark throne room. Hyperion held his spear in front of him, poised to strike the large reptile. The snake's red eyes flashed, and then the creature opened its mouth to speak.

"You dare challenge me?"

"I will have your head, Loki," Hyperion spat. The snake's face stretched into a sinister grin as two large fangs dripping in green venom protruded from its mouth.

Hyperion charged with his spear in both hands. He pushed the spear forward towards the body of the snake, but the creature's tail moved with such speed that the Titan didn't see the hit until he heard the spear land on the floor with a loud noise. Hyperion stared at his empty hands in disbelief. He lunged toward the spear, but the coils of the giant snake seized him. Hyperion struggled under the grip of the snake to no avail.

"Let… me… go," Hyperion grunted. Loki's evil smile grew as he squeezed his coils tightly around the Titan. Hyperion gasped for air.

"I think not, little Titan," Loki hissed playfully. The Titan's eyes began to glow and his body began to heat up. Loki's eyes grew wide with pain and anger, but he didn't let go of the Titan. Instead, the massive snake opened its mouth, and then clenched its jaws around the Titan's torso, sinking its fangs through Hyperion's chest and back. Loki let go quickly and the Titan's body hit the floor. Hyperion lay on the floor with spasms and convulsions ripping through his body. The other Titans just looked on in horror as Hyperion's body began to burn until all that was left was a statue of Hyperion that looked like it was made out of coal.

Loki's body began to glow until it returned to its normal form. He stepped forward and knelt down beside Hyperion. As soon as his hands touched the body, it turned to ash. A small, dark ball of energy floated up from the ashes and flew into the sky. Hyperion would soon be reunited with his brother in the great void.

Loki stood up holding his golden staff in his hands. He looked at the other Titans as they sat frozen on their thrones. His dark eyes pulsed with power.

"Does anyone else have a problem?"

_**AN: Thank you to all my reviewers. Many thanks to Starlit Reader for being the best Beta out there and I do agree that even though this chapter is short, it is better to end it here. Everyone stay tuned, there's more to come.**_


	15. This is Jeopardy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 15: This is Jeopardy!

_In the labyrinth_

**Annabeth's POV**

My skin tingled as I sat against the wall of the Labyrinth, trying and failing to fall asleep. Percy's words kept running through my head. _I'm sorry that I tried to push you away… I love you, Annabeth._ I had been furious at first, of course. But even though he was stupid for trying to decide something for me, I knew he had only been thinking of what was best for me. I couldn't find a name for what I was feeling now—happy? ecstatic? electrified?

I couldn't help but look to my left. Percy was sleeping on the floor next to me with a blanket over him. He looked so peaceful.

I closed my eyes for a few minutes, but then I heard a noise next to me. I turned toward Percy. He was tossing and turning in his sleep, mumbling. I shifted over and was about to wake him when he sat up quickly. I jumped back and hit the wall behind me, wincing at the impact.

Percy was sitting on the floor, his face pale and sweaty. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. I touched his shoulder and he looked at me with wild eyes.

"Percy, are you okay?" I asked worriedly. He was shaking slightly, but the crazed look in his eyes worried me the most. "What's wrong?"

Percy shook his head a few times and took a few deep breaths. His eyes seemed to calm down as his body relaxed. He looked at me carefully, still looking a bit shocked.

"Loki did it," Percy said. I looked at him curiously.

"Did what?"

"He merged with Kronos." I felt a cold shiver go up my spine. The worried look on Percy's face made me realize there was more to it.

"There's more, isn't there?" I asked anxiously. Percy nodded.

"He stole Kronos's power, and then he killed him, the Titan lord," Percy said in disbelief.

"How?"

"I don't know, but I saw him kill Hyperion, too."

I was speechless. How could someone kill two Titans? I felt movement from in front of us. I turned to see two worried goddesses staring at Percy and me.

"What's wrong?" Athena asked. Percy looked at my mother, and then told her everything that he saw in his dream. Artemis and Athena both paled as he spoke about Loki's newfound power and how he had killed the two Titans.

"Could you tell whether this was a present or future event?" Artemis asked. Percy looked directly at her and something in his eyes made the goddess shiver.

"It was the present, the day of the solstice, today. He has so much power. How can we fight him?" Percy said desperately.

My mother stared at him sternly, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. Percy's eyes widened, and then lightened, almost like a wave passed over them.

"Snap out of it. You're letting him influence your feelings," Athena urged.

"Listen to her; she speaks the truth. Loki will play on your emotions and fear of failure," Artemis added. These warnings seemed to strengthen Percy's resolve. He sat up against the wall.

"Sorry. Those images were so strong… I got lost in them for a minute," Percy sighed. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"We're all here for you," I said. Percy gave me a thankful smile. Artemis and Athena stood up. Everyone else had awakened to our conversation and they stared at us worriedly.

"Everyone, it is time that we departed. Daedalus, we will follow you. Artemis, the hunters and I must leave once we reach your workshop," Athena said.

"What about us?" Luke asked, gesturing to himself and Clarisse. Athena stared at him and I could tell she was thinking that over.

"You two will accompany Daedalus back to Camp Half Blood. You must prepare for the inevitable attack. The others still have a quest to complete." Athena said.

"We found Daedalus. What else do we have to do?" I asked.

"Your quest is nearly complete, but you still have someone else to find. I have a feeling that there is more to your quest, which still needs to be revealed," Athena said.

"I agree," Artemis said. "You all have more to accomplish. We have interfered enough." Daedalus stepped forward and looked at all of us expectantly.

"I hate to break up this discussion, but we're close to my workshop," he said. We all nodded, getting up to follow the old inventor.

We walked through the maze for a bit until Daedalus pulled out a map and stopped to look it over. Jason, Percy and I passed him, meaning we were in the front as we entered a large cave.

Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the room and a set of celestial bronze bars fell to the ground in the opening that we had just passed. The three of us were in the cavern alone as the others looked on helplessly.

"Tyson, can you lift these?" Nico asked worriedly. Tyson stepped forward and grabbed the bars roughly. He pulled until his face turned red from the strain.

"Too heavy," Tyson exclaimed. Mother and the others stared through the bars.

Suddenly a laugh and a roar could be heard from behind us. We all turned to see a woman's face, but she wasn't a woman. She had the head of a woman… but the body of a lion.

"The sphinx," I said, as we stepped back toward the barred entrance.

"Quite right, daughter of Athena," the sphinx said, as she stepped forward. The opening in the cavern wall behind her closed, cutting off any chance of escape.

"What do you want?" I asked. The sphinx smiled at me; her teeth were sharp and pointy. She could rip any of us to shreds with them.

"It should be obvious," she purred. "I want to play a game."

"So you want one of us to volunteer to play your game?" I asked. The sphinx gave me a wicked smile.

"More or less," she said.

"I volunteer to face your riddle," I said confidently. The sphinx laughed.

"You'll play alright. All three of you will," she said.

"What do you mean all three of us?" I asked apprehensively.

"Well, I no longer play games one on one. I'm a huge fan of Jeopardy now, and believe me, the name says it all," the sphinx said ominously.

"What about the riddle?" I asked. The sphinx roared with laughter.

"Riddles are too predictable. No, I like question and answer, plus three contestants are so much better than one." She stared at Jason and Percy hungrily.

"So, we have no choice but to play?" I asked.

"Unless all three of you want to be eaten," she growled. Percy stepped forward and I saw him touch his ring. I raised my hand and motioned for him to stand down. Percy looked at me worriedly.

"We will play. If I win you will let all of us go?" I asked. The Sphinx's eyes began to glow and suddenly three podiums appeared in front of us.

"You didn't answer me," I yelled. The sphinx began to laugh. Suddenly, I couldn't move my arms or legs. I looked at Jason and Percy; they were in the same situation.

"The winner leaves, and the two losers will be mine," the sphinx said.

"Leave them alone, sphinx," Artemis ordered through the bars.

"Lady Artemis. How nice of you and Lady Athena to watch my show," the sphinx said. Athena and Artemis both tried to use their powers, but they couldn't. They stared at the sphinx in disbelief. "Don't worry. Your powers will work just fine once you leave the Labyrinth. Lord Loki has provided me with this unique opportunity."

Percy and Jason were struggling to try and get free, but the magic was too strong. We would have to play. I could only hope that my mom or Artemis could help us before two of us were killed.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked angrily. The monster just smiled at us fiendishly.

"Two of you are going to taste so good," she said. She closed her eyes and suddenly a podium erupted from the ground in front of her and a large board just like in Jeopardy appeared on the far wall. I looked over at Percy and I gestured that he was our best bet to kill her, so we would have to make sure he won.

"Daughter of Athena, don't try to pull a fast one. The magic requires that you tell the truth. No trying to cheat." I looked at Percy and Jason; they both grimaced. Dammit. I shouldn't have held Percy back earlier.

Suddenly, the Jeopardy theme song began to play. The sphinx stepped to her podium and spoke toward Athena and the others, like they were the audience of a game show.

"Thank you, goddesses and demigods. Let's welcome our lucky contestants."

She looked at me first and said, "This young lady from San Francisco is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena." The sound of applause echoed around the walls of the cavern.

The sphinx turned toward Jason and smiled. "This young man is Jason Grace from the, ah,_ once_ mighty Roman camp, and the son of Jupiter." Jason glared at her.

The sphinx looked at Percy with a smile, but Percy just glared at her as his eyes pulsed with power. The monster's smile left her face as she visibly shivered at the sight. "This is ... Percy Jackson ... son of Poseidon."

"Now," she said, turning back toward the audience. "Let's go over the question board in front of us. Each of the five categories has five questions. The first category is gods and goddesses. The second is Titans and Titanesses. The third is heroes and heroines. The fourth is monsters and myths. The fifth and final category is magical items." She looked over at the three of us with a mischievous grin on her face. "Annabeth Chase will start."

I looked at the board and said, "I choose gods and goddesses for five hundred."

The Sphinx smiled; her sharp pointy teeth gleamed in the artificial light of the cavern. I realized yet again that I never should have agreed to play this game.

"You can call me Alexis, my dear," the sphinx said. It _would_ be that—the female version of Alex. This monster watched too much television. "Good. Here's the first question. Since we have no buzzers, just say my name. This god's symbol is the caduceus."

"Alex," I said. "The answer is Hermes."

"I'm sorry, you have to answer in the form of a question," the sphinx said with a grin as a big minus five hundred appeared on the front of my podium. "Jason, can you answer?"

"Who is Hermes or Mercury?" Jason said. Alexis smiled at him.

"Excellent. Jason, you may choose the next category." The game continued on and on until we reached final jeopardy.

"Now before I give the final Jeopardy subject, let's go over the totals, so far." She looked over each of our podiums. "Annabeth is in the lead with four thousand points. Jason is in second with fifteen hundred points, and poor Percy is in last with one thousand points." Percy just looked at her with a smirk. I wondered what he was planning. "The final jeopardy subject is Ancient Battles. You each have three minutes to wager, and then I will provide the question."

We all wrote down our wagers as the theme music from Jeopardy played. I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of the sphinx. I can't believe we're being threatened with death by game show. This monster really needs to get out more; television has rotten what little brains she had.

"Now we are ready for the clue. This is the only major battle that Alexander the Great fought in India," Alexis said. I knew this answer easily. The music played for a minute until everyone had finished thinking of their answer. All we had to do was think the answer and the wager, and then they would appear on the screen of the podium in front of us.

"Annabeth what is your answer?" The screen lit up in front of my podium and displayed the answer. _The Battle of Jhelum._ "Correct! What was your wager? Four thousand, it looks like Annabeth is our winner." The other screens displayed their answers; Percy and Jason had both answered correctly. I hadn't known that Seaweed Brain knew about Alexander's battles.

Alexis the sphinx stepped around her podium with a wicked grin on her face. The bonds that held me in place suddenly disappeared. The far wall of the cavern opened for me to leave.

"Congratulations, you get to live," she said. I stepped toward the exit, but then I looked around at Jason and Percy. The sphinx was stalking toward them. Jason's eyes were filled with despair. "I think I'll start with the oldest."

The sphinx walked towards Percy. He didn't even try to break free.

"Please don't hurt them," I pleaded. The sphinx turned toward me viciously.

"Leave or die," she spat. She turned back toward Percy, but then she stopped. I could see her struggling to move. I looked at Percy and his eyes were glowing a brilliant green color. "What are you doing? Your powers are blocked, halfblood."

Percy's smile grew as his eyes began to pulse with power.

"My Olympian powers are blocked, but the power of the Aesir flows through my veins," he said.

The sphinx gulped visibly as her body began to glow, and then floated into the air. I pulled out my celestial bronze dagger, and Percy gave me a nod. I threw the blade and it found its mark in the monster's heart. Her eyes widened in shock before she disappeared into a cloud of dust.

An aura appeared around Jason and Percy, but it faded as quickly as it appeared. The bonds around both of them disappeared, and the bars that kept out my mother and the others disappeared as well. The others hurried through the opening.

"That was awesome Perce," Grover said, as he trotted in behind Nico and Bianca.

Percy looked at all of them with a big smile. His eyes were still glowing, so he closed them for just a moment. A sudden pulse of energy could be felt throughout the cavern. When Percy opened his eyes they were normal again.

Artemis and Athena approached their brother. "An interesting new power. Is it Norse magic?" Athena asked curiously.

"When I was on Asgard, Thor helped me awaken my abilities as an Aesir. I grew two inches and packed on a few pounds of muscle in just a couple of seconds. It was pretty disconcerting, to say the least," Percy said.

"So you gained this ability then?" Artemis asked. He nodded.

Daedalus walked up to us with a worried expression. "We must go to my workshop," he said. I looked at him curiously, and then glanced at my mom. She scrutinized her son; I knew she was as curious as me.

"Yes, we must reach the workshop. Everyone follow Daedalus," Athena said. Daedalus led us through the Labyrinth for what seemed like only a few minutes, but could have been days for all we knew.

Finally, we reached the workshop. The wooden door was simple, and Daedalus opened the wooden door and I was amazed at the sight. Inventions hung from the ceiling and littered the floor, some unfinished and others looking thousands of years old. A large table sat along one wall. On top of the table rested a silver laptop with a glowing delta symbol on the top. I could only imagine its contents.

"We must get back to camp. Daedalus, you will accompany us," Artemis said. Daedalus nodded as he walked over to my mother, along with the Hunters, Luke, and Clarisse.

"I wish you all the best on your quest," Athena said to us with a hopeful smile.

"Thanks, mom," I said.

Athena, Artemis, and the others going to camp began to glow. The rest of us turned away, but nothing happened. The light faded quickly.

"Loki must know that we're here— he's trying to stop us from warning Camp Half-Blood," Athena said, her eyes narrowed. She was already trying to think of a solution.

"He must be using a lot of energy to block any Olympian power throughout the Labyrinth," Daedalus mused. Percy stepped closer to us.

"Everyone stand back for a minute," Percy said. He began to speak in the language of the Norse until his armor covered his body and Mjolnir appeared in his hand. Percy held out the weapon, speaking in Norse again. A moment later a massive vortex appeared in the far side of the tunnel. Everyone stared at it in awe. "This will lead all of you to camp. Loki can't block all power, especially the magic of Asgard."

"Thank you, Perseus," Artemis said. "Hunters, Daedalus, Luke and Clarisse, follow us." They all stepped forward into the vortex. Once they were through, the vortex closed and Percy's body began to glow. When the light subsided, Percy was no longer clad in his armor and Mjolnir was a ring again.

"So, now what do we do?" Thalia asked. Suddenly, the door to the workshop opened to reveal a tall and well muscled man. He wore leather work clothes and a belt with hammers and other tools hanging from it. He walked with a limp and had a deformed face that was covered by a beard that seemed to smoke at the ends.

It was the god Hephaestus. When he saw Percy his eyes widened in shock.

Percy bowed his head and said, "Hello, brother."

"Perseus?" he asked. Percy gave him a warm smile as he walked to his brother and hugged him.

"It's good to see you," Percy said. Hephaestus smiled at him.

"I'm happy you're alive, but I'm also glad that I found all of you. I need your help," he said urgently.

"What kind of help?" I asked. Hephaestus looked at me guardedly.

"Someone is trying to destroy one of my forges."

_**AN: It appears that the quest is taking a turn, and I'm sure everyone knows where the forge is located. Starlit Reader, thanks again for an excellent job as my Beta. Everyone stay tuned more to come.**_


	16. A Brother's Sorrow

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 16: A Brother's Sorrow

_In the labyrinth_

**Annabeth POV**

"What kind of help?" I asked.

Hephaestus looked at me guardedly. "Someone is trying to destroy one of my forges."

"Loki," Percy said.

The god nodded. "I believe so. He would want to free Typhon from his prison."

"But how could anyone control that monster?" Thalia asked.

"Kronos controlled him the last time he was free. Loki has Kronos's powers; therefore Loki can most likely control Typhon. If he frees that monster, all of Olympus will be in peril," Hephaestus said grimly.

"Plus, it would make a great distraction from Loki's true plans," Percy said.

"Do you know what he's planning?" I asked. Everyone turned to look at Percy. Percy sighed before he nodded.

"Yeah. He wants to destroy this realm. He blames Asgard and Midgard for his previous defeat. He's already destroyed Asgard, so now he wants to destroy Midgard," he said. I could hear the dread and pain in his voice.

"We won't let him win," I said, as I placed my arm around Percy's waist and hugged him tightly.

"She's right, Kelp Head. We're going to beat him," Thalia said.

Percy smiled at her nickname for him. He nodded, and said, "Hephaestus, where is the forge?"

Hephaestus cleared his throat as he held out his hand. A bright light appeared until a rolled up map materialized in his palm. He handed the map to Percy, who opened it up carefully as I leaned around his shoulder to look at it. The map of the Labyrinth showed a direct route to a huge mountain, labeled _Mount Saint Helens_, the volcano.

"We have to leave now. It'll take a while to get there," I said.

"I'm afraid you will not be able to go, daughter of Athena," Hephaestus grunted.

"What? Then why did you ask for our help?" I asked incredulously. Hephaestus gave me a scornful look.

"_You_ have a quest to complete. This mission is for Perseus to carry out. And you already have a son of Poseidon," Hephaestus said, as he motioned towards Tyson.

"The quest said children of the Big Three. You have a son of Zeus—well, Jupiter, so I should be able to go with Percy," Thalia said, as she stepped beside Percy. We all looked at Thalia questioningly.

"And you have a daughter of Hades, so I can go with Thalia and Percy too," Nico said, walking over to stand beside Thalia and grabbing her hand. She grinned at him with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Percy stepped beside them and chuckled lightly. "Great, I'll have two little love birds to keep me company," he said sarcastically. Thalia and Nico let go of each other's hands and glared at Percy.

"Not funny, Kelp Head," Thalia growled. Percy raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Sorry, don't kill me." Percy gave me a slight wink as he said that. I tried to smile, but I couldn't. Even though this mission was important, I didn't feel good about splitting up our group.

"Alright, the three of you can go on this mission, but you better come back or I'll kick your butts," I said. The trio all rolled their eyes.

"Sure thing, Wise Girl. We'll come back," Percy said.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want the Brain to hurt herself," Thalia quipped. I gave her the death glare. Hephaestus cleared his throat awkwardly. He wasn't very good with people.

"Well, then. This will help you find me when you complete your mission." He handed Percy a small celestial bronze automaton that looked like a large beetle. It had a green stone in the middle of its back. "When you're ready to find me, just press the gem and this little guy will do the rest."

"Understood," Percy said, as he grabbed the beetle from his brother. Hephaestus began to glow, so we averted our eyes as he assumed his godly form. When the light subsided the god was gone.

Before we split up, everyone said their goodbyes. Bianca threatened her brother with death if he didn't return, while Jason pleaded with his newfound sister to return safely. I grabbed Percy by the arm and pulled him away from the others.

"Don't play the hero, Seaweed Brain," I warned. Percy cleared his throat and looked into my eyes, putting his arm around me.

"I'll come back, I promise. I keep my promises, don't I?" he asked.

I nodded as tears pricked in my eyes. "I just got you back, I can't..." I tried to say. The words seemed to get stuck in my throat.

"You're not going to lose me. Loki won't stop me from coming back."

I nodded and forced a smile. "I'm holding you to that promise."

Percy leaned forward and kissed me softly. I held him tightly, not wanting him to go, but he eventually pulled away. I blinked the tears out of my eyes as he led me back to the others. I stood next to Grover as we watched our three friends disappear into the Labyrinth.

"What do we do now?" Jason asked. I tore my eyes away from where Percy and the others had been to look at the son of Jupiter. He was so different looking than Thalia, except for the eye color. In a way, Percy looked more like Thalia than her actual brother.

Everyone looked at me expectantly. "We have a quest to finish. Rachel," I said the name like it burned my tongue, "you and Grover will lead us. We have a god to find."

Rachel and Grover walked ahead, while the rest of us grabbed our supplies and followed them into the Labyrinth. I made a silent prayer to my mom to look after us as well as Percy and the others.

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere in the Labyrinth<em>

**Percy POV**

I sighed before I looked at my two friends beside me. I opened the map and followed the glowing gold sphere as it floated across the parchment of the map. It showed us the way as we walked through the maze. The end of the map was marked as the 'First Forge of Hephaestus'—Mount Saint Helens.

We walked for hours until I heard the sound of weeping. I had no idea where it was coming from, but the sound was loud and it echoed through the tunnel of the Labyrinth. I glanced at Nico and Thalia and saw that they had heard it, too.

We walked carefully forward until we stepped into a large opening, a cavern in the Labyrinth. The cavern was enormous, about a hundred yards in diameter with a ceiling that extended to at least five or six stories in height. The floor of the cavern was covered in meadow grass with beautiful yellow and purple flowers that formed swaths of color throughout the light filled room. I didn't know how the room was illuminated, until I looked closely at the walls. Embedded in the walls were strange crystals that seemed to glow with energy. When I touched one of them, it sparked with electricity. They almost seemed alive with power. Their faint blue glow illuminated the cavern.

I was broken away from the crystals with the sound of loud sobbing. I walked down a stone path that led to a small pool of water. Near the edge of the pool stood a strange figure. He looked kind of like a Cyclops, but he had two eyes, not one. The strangest thing about him was that he had multiple arms. Like, hundreds of them.

"A Hekatonkheir," Nico said in awe.

"Hundred-Handed One," I translated. He was right. The creature in front of us looked tiny compared to the stories of these giant creatures tearing down mountains and hurtling them toward the Titans. Something was off with the creature's body. He looked like a Cyclops, but his hands and feet were out of proportion with the rest of his body. It almost looked like he was a child that hadn't grown up yet.

I stepped cautiously up to the weeping giant. I wasn't sure why he was crying, but his hands moved quickly in a blur. It looked like he was assembling something. His many hands held pieces of celestial bronze.

"Excuse me," I said. The giant stopped moving and his sobs ended. He turned quickly to look at me and his eyes grew big as he stared at me and my companions. His glare turned suspicious as he watched us closely.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"We mean no harm. My name is Percy Jackson and these are my friends, Thalia and Nico," I said carefully. The giant looked at all three of us cautiously, as if he was trying to determine whether we were trustworthy or not.

"I am Kottos, the Hekatonkheir," he said. He was one of the giants from the great legends.

"I don't mean to pry, but why are you crying?" I asked sincerely. He stared into my eyes and I could almost feel the pain and sorrow in his gaze.

He looked over at the small pool of water near the edge of the cavern; in the center of the water was a stone statue. It was covered in flowers and vines, but as I looked closer I understood what it was. The statue looked almost exactly like Kottos, except for a few small variations in its facial features. This was some type of a memorial. I looked at Kottos's feet and saw a similar statue that he was making out of celestial bronze pieces. I remembered the stories about the Hundred-Handed Ones that Hera told me as a child. These great giants helped the gods defeat the Titans, but eventually mortals and the gods forgot about them. They were thought to have faded like many of the ancient immortals.

"Are these memorials to your brothers?" I asked, motioning toward the two statues.

"This is a memorial to Briares, my brother. He has been lost for many years," Kottos said, as he held the partially constructed bronze statue in his hand. He looked like he was on the verge of tears again.

"What about the stone statue?" I asked. Kottos began to cry loudly. I stepped up and put my hand on his shoulder. He pulled away and looked at me worriedly. "I'm sorry Kottos, I didn't mean to upset you." Kottos stared at me, and then I guess he decided it was okay to tell me.

"This isn't a statue, this is Gyges. Medusa turned him to stone," Kottos wailed. I was stunned.

"I thought you three were immortal. How could she turn him to stone without killing him?" I asked.

"He's not dead, just trapped inside the stone. I don't have the magic to free him and the gods won't help me," Kottos said.

"Have you tried to contact the gods?" Nico asked.

"I have tried for decades without any luck," he said. Thalia stepped forward.

"Percy, can we help him?" she asked. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she sympathized with the giant. I guess it reminded her of the time that she was trapped in the pine tree.

"Thals, I don't know," I said.

"What about your magic?" Nico asked. I hadn't thought of it, but it could be possible. Kottos looked at me hopefully.

"You are a magician?" he asked.

"No, but I can use magic to a certain degree," I said hesitantly. Thalia grabbed my hand.

"Please try," she said.

"I will," I said, as I began to chant in the language of Norse. My armor covered my body and my ring turned into Mjolnir. Kottos stared at me in disbelief. I stepped into the pool of water and waded toward the statue of Gyges. I held Mjolnir in front of me and pointed the magic weapon toward the statue.

I remembered a healing spell that Thor taught me and for some reason I had a feeling it might work. I began to chant the spell as I pointed Mjolnir toward the statue. Mjolnir glowed with the familiar sea green color until my body was blanketed in the light and power of Asgardian magic. I focused on the petrified form of Gyges and I tried to envision him alive, like his brother. My vision became so precise and so extreme that I could almost see the molecules and atoms that made up the stone figure of Kottos's brother. My voice seemed almost separate from my body as I kept chanting the familiar spell. I could feel the magic in my blood as the power flowed through me and into Mjolnir. The greatest weapon in the universe began to glow brightly and almost without any prompt from me, a great blast of power erupted from my weapon and enveloped the stone figure of Gyges. The power seemed to intensify around the statue, until a bright white light exploded. I fell to my knees as I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I opened my eyes to see the concerned, wondering faces of Thalia and Nico.

"How l-long was I out?" I asked. Thalia smiled warmly at me as she hugged me tightly.

"Thank the gods you're okay," she sighed.

"You were out for an hour," Nico said.

"What about Gyges?" I asked. Thalia and Nico both glanced up. I turned my head carefully and stared at two tall figures that towered above me. The light in the room shifted and I was looking into the faces of two giants. Kottos's smile seemed to light up the room as he held his brother close to him. Gyges just stared down at me with an equally warm smile.

"Young demigod, I will always be in your debt," Gyges said. Nico and Thalia helped me to my feet. I noticed that my armor and Mjolnir had transformed back to my belt buckle and ring.

"You're welcome, Gyges," I said.

"You're a very powerful sorcerer, young one." Gyges said, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. I shook my head.

"It was the power of the Aesir and the magic of Asgard that healed you. It only passed through me," I said. They both smiled at me.

"You're humble, young one. If you do not mind, we will accompany you on your quest," Gyges said. I looked at Thalia and Nico.

"I told them about our mission," Thalia explained.

"It will be dangerous," I said.

"We owe you and we will risk any danger to pay our debt," Kottos said.

I nodded. "I understand. Thank you—both of you—for the help." I looked at Nico and Thalia. They both wore determined looks.

"We have to continue with our mission. We've lost some time, but we've also found two important allies," I said, as I looked at the two smiling giants in front of me. I pulled out the map that Hephaestus gave me and unrolled it. "Let's get to that forge."

_**AN: With the discovery of Kottos and Gyges, I guess everyone should know who Annabeth and the others will find on their journey. Let's just say that a certain prison and ancient monster await those demigods on the quest. Again many thanks to Starlit Reader for her excellent work on editing this chapter. Sorry for my delay in updating, but I've been pretty busy as usual. Stay tuned more to come.**_


	17. Prison Break

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 17: Prison Break

_Somewhere in the labyrinth_

**Annabeth POV**

We followed Rachel and Grover as they led us through the Labyrinth. I knew the clear sighted mortal could see the right path, but I wasn't sure how considering we didn't even know what we were looking for.

The look on Grover's face told me exactly what he thought we were looking for. He hoped that Pan was the lost being in the underworld. We had found Daedalus, but with the help of my mother and Artemis. This part of our quest was up to us, and I worried that we would miss the support of Nico, Thalia and especially Percy. His power could always save us from certain death.

We rounded a corner and came to a halt. At the end of the tunnel was a door made of celestial bronze, with a barred window that would allow us to see into the next room of the maze. I looked through the small window to analyze the room on the other side of the door. The room was large, about the size of the cavern where we met the Sphinx. The bottom level looked like living quarters for some kind of enormous creature. There were dozens of pillows lying on the floor; it looked like a makeshift bed of some sort. There was an area for cooking and a large rock in the middle of the room that was polished smooth on one side. I had no idea what it could be used for.

The most interesting part of the room was the wide circular stair case. I turned my head to a strange angle in order to see up onto the second level. I saw a line of massive doors that were made of celestial bronze. They looked like prison cell doors. Was this some sort of prison?

"Grover, take a look up on the second floor. Do those look like prison cells to you?" I asked. I stepped out of the way to allow him to have a look. I watched as his shoulders tensed and a shiver ran down his spine.

"It looks like a prison, but it smells like monsters up there," he said.

Tyson stepped up to look through the window as well.

"Very powerful monsters," he said grimly.

"Can I look?" Rachel asked. I felt the strange, irrational anger boil up inside of me. I didn't know why I felt this way about her, but for some reason I didn't like her. Grover gave me a curious look when I didn't say anything.

"Go ahead," I sighed. Rachel stepped up to the window and looked inside.

"We have to get through here. That door on the other side will lead us the right way," she said. I looked at Grover for confirmation. He nodded before turning his gaze back to the bronze door.

"How do we get in there?" Jason asked.

"The door is locked from the inside," I said, as I looked over at Bianca. She had remained pretty quiet so far. I guess she felt me staring at her, because she looked up at me curiously. "Bianca, can you shadow travel into the room and unlock the door for us?"

"Maybe, if my powers aren't blocked," she said. We all stepped out of her way as she walked up to the door and looked through the window. She turned away from the door and looked around the narrow corridor that we were in. She ran to the nearest shadow and disappeared.

"I can never get used to that," Jason admitted.

Bianca appeared on the other side of the door. I watched as she broke the lock to the door with her Stygian iron sword. The lever of the door turned, and then the door opened to reveal the daughter of Hades with a proud grin on her face.

"Good work," I said. "I guess Loki's spell doesn't work in this part of the Labyrinth." I walked into the room followed by Tyson, Grover and Jason. We all walked to the door on the far side of the room; it wasn't locked. We opened it and were about to leave when we heard crying and whimpering coming from the cells on the second level of the room. Tyson looked up towards the door with a surprised look on his face; he stared at the cell door on the left. He began to walk towards the circular stair case with Bianca following him.

"Guys, we need to get out of here before any monsters show up," Grover pleaded.

"He's right; we don't have time to mess around," I added. The two kept walking toward the stairs. I ran to Bianca and grabbed her arm. She turned around with a strange look on her face. I started to get nervous. "What's wrong?"

"That sound," she said. "I know what it is."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Follow me," she said. By that time Tyson was already up the stairs and stood in front of the door to the left. I rolled my eyes and followed Bianca.

"Hey, if you're all going, so are we," Jason said. Grover and Rachel didn't look happy about it, but they followed too. We all walked up the stairs and met Tyson by the door. Bianca continued to walk until she stood in front of the door on the right side.

I walked up to Tyson and touched him on the shoulder. He turned around; he had the biggest smile on his face. I couldn't help, but smile in return.

"What's going on?" I asked curiously.

"It's him. He's in there," Tyson said in awe.

"Who's in there?" I asked.

"Briares, the Hundred Handed One," Tyson said.

"I thought they faded," Grover said from behind me.

"He's in there," Tyson said earnestly. "I can sense him."

"One way to find out," I said, as I opened the small window in the door. I looked inside, but the room was dark. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

I could see some movement in the room and then a large head moved toward the door. I jumped back in surprise. At first I thought it was a Cyclops, but the giant had two eyes. Its arms and legs looked too big for its body, but it was definitely a giant. Its body was covered in arms, dozens of them.

"Briares, my name is Tyson. I'm a Cyclops, a son of Poseidon," Tyson declared. Briares looked at Tyson in fascination.

"Cousin," the Hundred Handed One said nervously, "You must go before she discovers you."

"Who is this she?" Rachel asked. Briares looked at her and I could see the fear in his eyes.

"Kampê," he said. Grover let out a bleat, dropping his aluminum can on the ground. He grabbed Rachel's arm tightly.

"Oh gods, we gotta get out of here," he said, as he began to walk towards the stairs dragging Rachel behind him.

"Hold on Grover, we can't leave him in there," I said. Grover looked at me; his face was a mix of shock and fear.

"We can't stay; she could be back any minute," he pleaded. Rachel just stared at all of us, not really understanding anything we were saying.

"Grover, she's right," Jason said. "We have to free him. He could help us."

"Tyson, can you break the lock on this door?" I asked. Tyson grabbed the lock and pulled as hard as he could. The lock began to creak until it snapped off in his hand.

"Nice work," I said. We opened the door and stood back to allow Briares to exit. He wore tattered rags that barely covered his body. His skin was pale and I could tell that he had been in his prison for many years. He squinted as he looked at the light in the room. His body was dirty, but what caught my attention was the wild look in his eyes. He looked like a hunted animal as his eyes darted around the room, as if he expected to be attacked at any moment. "Briares, we are friends, you can come with us."

"She will be upset, she will try to hurt all of you," he said.

"We can take care of ourselves. My name is Jason, son of Jupiter—I mean Zeus," Jason said.

"Your father was our friend… but he abandoned us," Briares said, a mix of anger, sadness and regret in his voice.

"I'm sorry, but we're here to help you now," Jason reassured him.

Briares stepped out all the way and when he saw Bianca standing by the door on the right, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Mrs. O'Leary," he said. We all stared at him in confusion.

"Mrs. who?" Rachel asked, staring at Briares as if he might be insane.

"She's a hellhound," he said. Bianca opened the window to the door before any of us could yell at her. I expected to hear growling and maybe something hit the door, but all I heard was the whimpering of a dog. Bianca stared into the dark cell.

"Poor thing, she's terrified," Bianca said. I walked over to her quickly.

"We can't let her out, she'll attack us," I said. Briares huffed from behind me.

"She won't attack," Briares said.

"She's a hellhound, of course she'll attack demigods," I said.

"No, she won't," he said. "She's Daedalus's pet. He raised her from a pup."

"What?" I asked. "A pet hellhound?"

"She's friendly," he clarified. Briares looked toward Tyson expectantly. "Please let her out cousin." Tyson nodded as he grabbed the lock. It broke off in his hand easily. Bianca opened the door. Suddenly, an enormous, dark, furry object bounded out of the cell and jumped onto Biares and Tyson and started licking them excitedly. Tyson and Briares laughed as Mrs. O'Leary continued to _kiss_ them. Jason, Rachel, Grover and I just stared at them in shock. Bianca for her part just laughed at the friendly hellhound.

"She's so cute," she said. After a few minutes, Mrs. O'Leary calmed down enough to stand at the side of Tyson and Briares. Bianca stepped forward and scratched her behind the ear. Mrs. O'Leary wagged her tail, and as it hit the wall the sound was like a machine gun.

"You need to make her stop that noise," I said urgently.

"Why? She's not hurting anyone," Bianca said.

"She's going to alert Kampê of our presence," I clarified. Bianca's eyes widened.

"Mrs. O'Leary, please sit and calm down," she ordered. The hellhound sat down and stared eagerly at the daughter of Hades.

"Who dares disturb the prison of Kampê?" a voice said from down on the first level of the room.

We all froze in fear at the rough and menacing voice of the monster. I looked over the rail on the second level. Down below was the strangest monster I had ever seen.

She was a weird hybrid of a dragon and a woman. Her bottom half consisted of a dragon's body with large green scales. Her legs appeared to be made out of dozens of pythons. Her upper torso was that of a woman. Instead of hair, she had large poisonous cobras that writhed and struck at anything nearby. It was like Medusa's hair, but these snakes were bigger and more ferocious. Where the two portions of her body met was a bubbling mass of goo. The heads of animals appeared as her body shifted. At the moment she had a dozen heads of animals; lions, tigers, wolves, bears and other creatures that would've been nasty even if they weren't attached to a giant monster.

Kampê stared up at me with glowing yellow eyes with slits like a lizard. She opened her mouth to hiss at us, and I could see the green venom drip from her large fangs. We were all frozen in fear, but poor Briares sat on the ground quivering in terror.

Naturally, the first person to make a sound was Grover. When he saw the monster, he made a strange noise like a goat being strangled, before he collapsed.

"Way to go, Grover," I muttered. Everyone glanced in my direction. By the looks on their faces, I knew they were waiting for my orders.

And for once, I had no idea what to do. Jason looked at me carefully.

"What do we do?" Bianca asked. Jason gave me a nod before he looked over the rail at Kampe. The monster stared at him menacingly.

"I do, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and Praetor of the First Legion," Jason said confidently. I gave him a thankful gaze before I began to run through potential battle scenarios, this would be one Hades of a fight.

_**AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It looks like Annabeth and company are in for some serious trouble. Let's hope the daughter of Athena has a plan.**_


	18. Forged Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 18: Forged Memories

_Somewhere in the Labyrinth_

**Percy POV**

Thalia, Nico and I walked out of the cavern followed by our new friends, Kottos and Gyges. I held the magical map in my hands as we followed it through the Labyrinth. I knew we were getting close to the volcano because the temperature began to increase rapidly. The two Hundred Hand Ones were immune to the temperature, and with my abilities as an Aesir, I was able to withstand the heat pretty well. After a few hours of travel we managed to reach a stone archway that led to the forge. Nico and Thalia were going to walk through the doorway when I suddenly felt uneasy.

"Stop," I said. Thalia and Nico looked at me cautiously.

"What's wrong?" Thalia asked. I stared at the doorway, as I tried to stretch out with my feelings. I could feel a great sense of danger emanating from the forge.

"There's something wrong in there," I said. Nico and Thalia looked at each other worriedly, before they stared at the doorway, as if it would attack them at any moment.

"What do we do?" Nico asked. I called forth my armor and Mjolnir as I stepped toward the doorway.

"I'll go in first," I said. I stepped carefully through the arched doorway. I moved silently and quickly through the cavern. I crouched down behind a large rock and peeked around the edge.

The forge was huge. The ceiling stretched several hundred feet into the air and the room was the size of the great temple on Olympus. In the middle of the room was a large fiery pit of molten lava. The lava lake was the size of a football field. The surface of the lava was forty or fifty feet below the surface of the forge. I walked towards the rim of the lava lake and peered down. The lava bubbled and spewed gases into the air. The heat was incredible and I knew this was the source of the volcano's power.

I stopped walking as I sensed movement within the forge. I looked across the lava lake to see a large stone building. It was the size of the Big House and was at least three stories tall. A lava flow moved out of the building and down into the fiery lake below. The forge had to be in the building. I motioned for the others to enter. I watched as Nico and Thalia ran over to me, while Gyges and Kottos stood at the edge of the lava lake to look down at the boiling liquid below.

Suddenly, the doors to the building that held the forge burst open to reveal dozens of Telekhines. These creatures looked like a cross between a seal, a Doberman and a human. They stood like a man, but they had seal-like fur and feet with clawed hands. Their heads were like a giant Doberman with large fangs and glowing red eyes. These sea demons were evil and I knew who they served. The creatures stood on the opposite side of the lava lake. They growled and bared their teeth at us.

"Calm down my friends, we mustn't be impolite to our guests," a man said, as he walked out of the building that housed the forge. The man was tall, probably twelve feet in height. He wore a black tuxedo and he seemed to ooze confidence and good will. He had scars on his face, like he had been attacked by a bird of prey.

"Prometheus," Gyges said, staring at the Titan. The Titan smiled at my friend, and then he looked at me intently.

"Perseus Jackson, we meet at last," Prometheus said.

"What do you want, Titan?" I asked.

"Perseus, I have great respect for you. I do not wish you any harm," Prometheus said.

"Yeah, like I'm going to buy that," I spat. "Why are you trying to free Typhon?" Prometheus's smiled faded.

"How did you find out?" He asked.

"Hephaestus knows," I said. Prometheus frowned at that information. He motioned toward the telekhines. The sea demons began to stalk toward our position. I pointed Mjolnir towards the monsters, and they stopped as they saw the power and magic emanating from my weapon. I motioned for the others to move toward the entrance. They followed my directions, as they ran to the door. Even Gyges and Kottos obeyed my orders. I followed them as my friends moved through the exit of the forge back into the Labyrinth.

"Not so fast Jackson," Prometheus said, smirking.

Suddenly, explosives detonated over the doorway to the Labyrinth. I caught a huge boulder before it closed off the entrance to the Labyrinth. Gyges and Kottos stepped through the entrance to follow Thalia and Nico.

"Perseus, we can't leave you," Kottos said.

"Move, go find the others. Thalia, take the beetle. Follow it back to Hephaestus," I said. Thalia grabbed the beetle out of a pouch in my armor.

"I won't leave you," Thalia said. Her eyes began to tear up as she stared at me. I looked back at her desperately.

"Don't worry, I'll make it out of here, I promise," I said. Thalia nodded, before she stepped back through the entrance to the Labyrinth. I stepped away from the door before I dropped the large boulder. I heard my friends scream my name a few times before the doorway was sealed.

I turned back toward Prometheus and his minions. The sea demons stalked toward me, before their master motioned for them to stop.

"Perseus, I'll make you a deal," Prometheus said. He acted like he was offering me a favor.

"No deals, Titan," I said. Prometheus shook his head in exasperation.

"I know Loki is evil. He killed Kronos, Hyperion and Hecate," Prometheus said. I was surprised that Loki had killed Hecate.

"Are you going to join us then?" I asked.

"Of course not. The Olympians cannot be trusted," Prometheus said.

"And the Titans can?" I asked in disbelief. Prometheus's eyes flashed with anger, but then he visibly sighed.

"They have you believing their lies. I see I need to show you the truth, young hero." Prometheus said, as his eyes flashed. I felt myself grow weak for a moment as I collapsed next to the large boulder that blocked the doorway to the Labyrinth.

_Perseus do not fret, this is not an attack. I'm the Titan of forethought, but I can show you the events of the past. You need to know more about your family and their true nature_, Prometheus said in my mind.

_I won't believe your lies._

_I only show the truth. I cannot alter these events, even if I wanted to._

Suddenly, an image of a beautiful room in an Italianate style (thank you, Annabeth) appeared in my mind. Sitting in a chair was a woman with olive skin and dark hair that cascaded down her back. She wore a flowing dress that seemed to shine in the light of the room. Her dark eyes looked familiar.

A man sat beside her, wearing a black suit with a black tie. His dark hair was tied up in a neat pony tail. His eyes were dark black, contrasting against his deathly pale face, but I could see flames in them. The man was my uncle Hades. I listened closely as they began to talk.

"Maria, please, we need to move you and the children to safety," Hades said, as he motioned toward the two children playing on the floor. The children had to be Nico and Bianca.

"Zeus would not dare hurt me or our children, my love," Maria said. Hades shook his head and looked into her eyes.

"We just took an oath not to have anymore demigod children. Zeus gave me a week to bring the children to Camp Half Blood. It's now two weeks past that deadline. You and the children are not safe here. Please, I can take you to the Underworld. You'll be safe there from his wrath," Hades said.

"I will not leave my children," Maria declared.

"They will be safe at the camp," Hades reassured, but I could tell that he wasn't too sure.

"Zeus is a fool if he thinks I will leave my children." Maria said. Hades winced as thunder clapped overhead.

"You mustn't say those things about my brother; his temper is much worse than mine. Please, let's leave here. We'll take the children with us to the Underworld. I can protect all of you there," Hades pleaded.

"No my dear, we will stay here. You will keep us safe. I must go upstairs, please watch the children, my love." Maria said, as she stood up and walked up the circular stair case. A moment later the children stopped playing and looked up the stairs. Hades cursed under his breath as he created a force field around himself and the children.

The next thing I saw was a huge explosion as fire engulfed the home. When the fire died down, the only thing left was the black energy that protected the god of the dead and his two small children. Hades was holding Nico and Bianca as they cried into his shirt. He held them tenderly, but his eyes burned with fury. At first, I thought he might reveal his godly form and vaporize his kids, but he calmed down as he comforted the two children.

I finally realized what happened. Zeus had killed Maria di Angelo and nearly vaporized my friends Bianca and Nico. Hades had saved them, but their mother was gone.

A black mist appeared behind Hades, and then it coalesced into the haggard form of my friend Alecto, the Fury. Her leather wings and her yellow eyes pulsed with anger.

"My lord, you called," Alecto said.

"Please take my children to the River Lethe. Wash their memories of this terrible day and take them to the Lotus Casino. They will be safe there."

"Why not take them to the Underworld, my lord?" Alecto asked. Hades sighed as he looked at the ruined home.

"Persephone may tell the gods of their survival. I cannot take that chance," Hades said.

"As you wish my lord," Alecto said. She held onto the children carefully before disappearing into black mist.

I saw movement from behind my uncle. He turned quickly and caught hold of a young girl. She looked to be about twelve years old. She wore a faded yellow dress and her skin had a light tan. Her hair was light brown and tied back in a loose pony tail. She had familiar green eyes, but I didn't know where I had seen them before.

"You dare to come see me today of all days," Hades accused. The girl stepped back from him carefully.

"I warned you to safeguard your children and their mother, but you didn't listen," the girl said.

"Maria wouldn't listen to me, I couldn't make her go," Hades said. The girl looked at him sadly. "You could have told me this would happen."

"The spirit of the Oracle only speaks through me. It only shows me what it can," the girl said. I realized that this was the Oracle when she was alive, and not the mummy that I had seen at camp.

"You and that damn Apollo. I will make you both pay for this," Hades said.

"This was your doing, as well as your brother's. I tried to warn you to be careful," the Oracle said.

"You dare tell me to be careful? It is you who should have been more careful. You should never come to the lord of dead when he is angry. As long as my children are outcasts, as long as I'm shunned from Olympus and as long as Hades is without a cabin at Camp Half Blood, you shall be cursed to inhabit your current body, even when that body has withered to a twisted corpse," Hades roared, as his eyes flashed with fire and the sound of the young Oracle's screams echoed through the ruined remains of the burnt out mansion.

I couldn't believe it. Zeus, my adopted father had killed Nico and Bianca's mom. Hades had cursed a young girl to eternal torment. Two of the gods that I was closest to had done such horrible things to innocent people.

_Now you see how they truly are_, Prometheus said, as the image changed to a new one.

A beautiful woman that looked to be in her mid twenties walked through a forest, holding a young boy in her arms. He looked to be about two years old, with blonde hair and electric blue eyes. It had to be Jason, Thalia's little brother and the woman had to be his mother, but why were they here?

The woman kept walking until she stepped into a clearing where a large burned-out home stood. It looked like it had been a great mansion at one time with its charred stone and brick walls. The woman stepped forward until a great wolf stood in front of her. I thought the wolf would attack, but it just stood there watching the woman and her child.

Suddenly, a bright golden light appeared between the woman and the wolf. When the light disappeared, a dark haired woman stood proudly before them. It was Hera, my mom, but she wore a stern and angry expression on her face.

"I see that you have fulfilled my husband's agreement," Hera said, I looked at her closely, but she didn't look like she was in her Roman form. She wore her Greek chiton just like she always did when I was a little boy.

"Yes," the woman said. "Please do not hurt my daughter."

Hera took Jason from his mother's arms. She walked towards the wolf just as a golden glow enveloped the giant canine. When the light subsided, a beautiful woman dressed like a Hunter of Artemis stood before the queen of the gods.

"Lupa, take this child. My husband has given him to me. I am his patron now," Hera said.

"Lady Juno, I mean Hera" the woman said timidly. Hera stared at the woman before she turned to glare at Jason and Thalia's mother.

"Yes, mortal," Hera spat.

"You got what you wanted. Can you please take the curse away from me?" The woman asked. Curse? I wondered. What curse? Hera gave the woman an evil smile.

"My husband gave me your son to save his daughter, not you. My curse upon you remains. You remain addicted to drink for the remainder of your days. No man would want a drunk as a companion. A curse befitting an adulterer," Hera said evilly, before she disappeared into a golden light.

The woman began to sob as she walked away from Lupa and her son. I had never seen my mom with such hate in her eyes. She had taken Jason away from his mom and sister. She had cursed Thalia's mother.

_You finally see their true nature_, Prometheus said.

_I can't believe it._

_Believe it; Hera, Zeus and Hades have committed such horrible acts. Why do you care for them? They are no better than Kronos. They are no better than Loki. With Kronos and Hyperion gone, we will rule with greater kindness. My father Iapetus and I will lead the new council of Titans. We would never hurt mortals. We have always looked out for them. Can you say the same for the Olympians?_

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't even trust my own family. Was Prometheus right? Should I follow the immortals that would take care of mortals or should I trust that my family had changed? I did the only thing I could do, I prayed for guidance. I prayed for help.

_You cannot trust the Titans_, a voice said in my head. The voice was unlike any I had heard before. It was like it emanated from everywhere at once.

_Who are you?_ I asked.

_A friend, one that would never lie to you. I swear on the Styx._

_Did my family really do those horrible things?_

_Yes, the gods have done terrible things, but they are much better than the Titans or the Primordial gods that preceded them. I have watched your family. Your presence has changed them, Perseus. They are much more of a family than ever before._

_How can I ever trust them again?_

_You must my boy; you are the only hope for this world._

_What do you mean?_

_All will become clear in time. Trust your heart and spirit. They will guide you._

_Who are you?_

The voice was gone. I opened my eyes to see the cavern around me. I stood up to see Prometheus and the telekhines.

"What do you say Perseus? Will you join us? Prometheus asked. I thought about the voice and what it told me. I still loved my family, no matter what they did.

I gripped Mjolnir in my hand, and something made me look toward the ceiling of the cavern. Looking closely, I saw a large container of Greek fire surrounded by dozens of sticks of dynamite. An explosion of that size would cause an eruption—an eruption that would free Typhon from his prison.

"I will never join you," I said as I threw Mjolnir at the telekhines. My weapon flew in an arc like a boomerang. As it moved around the cavern it cut and crushed all in its path. Telekhines were either cut in two or knocked into the lava lake. I could hear the screams of the monsters that burned in the boiling liquid below. Prometheus stared at me in shock as my weapon finished its path of destruction and I caught it.

"You are too late! The bomb will explode in only a few seconds," Prometheus yelled.

I looked at the bomb and saw the timer ticking down, only thirty seconds to go. I began to spin Mjolnir above my head as I willed myself to fly toward the ceiling of the cavern. I grabbed the bomb as I hit the ceiling of the cavern. Mjolnir continued to spin in my hand, drilling a hole in the rock above me. I began to move up into the hole as I continued to use my weapon to carve a path through the volcano.

After only a few seconds I erupted from the top of the volcano, still carrying the bomb. I looked down at the timer and saw that it read ten seconds. I willed myself higher into the air, until the air around me became so thin that it was hard to breathe. I used all my remaining strength to throw the bomb into the sky towards the heavens.

I turned to descend back toward the earth, when the bomb exploded behind me. The shockwave hit me with a tremendous impact. I felt like I had been struck with a giant fly swatter. I tried to recover and fly back toward the volcano, but my vision began to blur. I looked towards the ground and saw nothing but the blue-green ocean below. My last thought was how beautiful and calm the water looked before I blacked out.

_**AN: A little action, but I promise that the next two chapters will have plenty of action. Again to Starlit Reader, my Beta, another great job of editing.**_


	19. Cave of the Lost

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 19: Cave of the Lost

_The Labyrinth - The Prison of Kampé_

**Annabeth POV**

Kampé was large and I knew she couldn't make it up the staircase easily. We needed a way down from up here without using the stairs. I looked around the second floor until I spotted the chains in the cell where Briares had been. Jason set Grover down on the ground next to a quivering Briares.

"Tyson, can you take these chains and make one long enough for us to climb down from here?" I asked. I watched as the son of Poseidon walked into the cell and grabbed the multiple sections of chain.

"I think so," he said.

"Good, get to work on that," I said, as I turned to talk with Bianca and Jason.

"We need to distract Kampé," I said.

Bianca and Jason both looked at me worriedly.

"How in Hades do you plan to do that?" Jason asked.

"Bianca, you and Mrs. O'Leary will need to shadow travel to the first floor. Have Mrs. O'Leary distract her while you grab those javelins that are piled up on the far wall. Use them to try and pin those snake legs to the ground," I said as I pointed at the monster's legs.

Bianca nodded. She walked over to Mrs. O'Leary, and then they both disappeared into the nearest shadow. Jason, Rachel and I watched from above as Mrs. O'Leary barked at the monster while Bianca started to throw javelins at the creature. Kampé was halfway up the stair case, but she stopped to confront her attackers.

"What are we going to do?" Jason asked.

I looked at Thalia's brother, and then I turned my attention to Grover and Briares. "We need to wake up goat boy, and then we need to convince Briares to fight," I said. Jason's eyes widened at the last part of my statement. "Come on." I grabbed Grover by his shirt and shook him roughly. Rachel gave me looked at me worriedly.

"Enchiladas," he yelled, jumping in surprise.

Rachel and Jason grinned at Grover's love of food. I pushed his reed pipes into his hands roughly. "Play this and get some vines to snag that monster's legs," I yelled as I shook him for good measure.

Grover's eyes were three times their normal size. He nodded furiously. I let go of his shirt and walked over to Briares. He had watched the whole scene and I wasn't sure who he was more scared of, me or Kampé.

"Briares, I know you're scared of her, but it's time to get your revenge on that monster. How long were you in that cell?" I asked.

Briares looked at me curiously as his brow furrowed in thought.

"Many years, too many to count," Briares said sadly.

"Then it's high time for you to be free and the only way to do that is if we beat her," I said, as I pointed toward the stairs where Kampé was struggling to move. Mrs. O'Leary was barking at her. Bianca had two of her snake legs stuck to the ground with javelins, and Grover was playing his pipes feverishly. Vines and roots sprang from the ground and wound their way around the monster's legs.

Kampé screamed in anger as she struggled to free herself from her confinement. "You all will die by my hand," Kampé shrieked. The noise was ear piercing.

The loud sound seemed to snap Briares out of his fear. "I won't let her hurt any of you," Briares said confidently. He stood up and walked toward his cell door. The giant grabbed the open door with dozens of his hands and pulled. The door hinges creaked and moaned until they broke apart. Briares walked to the top of the stair case and looked over the edge. Kampé still struggled to free herself.

"Mrs. O'Leary, Bianca, please move away from the stairs." The hellhound and the daughter of Hades moved away from the stairs quickly. Briares hefted the massive door over his head and then threw it down the stair case. The door slammed into Kampé's midsection, sending her sliding down the stairs. She crashed into the far wall, causing the rocks from the ceiling of the cavern to fall to the ground.

We all stared at Briares in awe. "Come on, let's get out of here," he said.

Jason, Tyson, Rachel, Grover and I ran down the staircase behind our new friend. Tyson dropped the chains he was working on, as we no longer needed them. We reached the bottom and met up with Mrs. O'Leary and Bianca.

"Out the door, now," I yelled as we ran to the door. Tyson pulled on the door handle, but the door was locked from the outside. Briares tried to help him pull, but the door held tight. Suddenly, we heard a loud scream. We all turned around to see Kampé standing before us. She seemed to grow in height as she pulled out two large curved swords. I recognized them as scimitars. The blades of the weapons dripped with a green slime, and when the poison hit the floor it bubbled like acid.

"Now you will all die," Kampé said, beginning to laugh evilly. We all stepped away from the locked door.

"Separate," I called out. "Make it harder for her to attack us in a group." Everyone took out weapons or grabbed ones from the ground. We all separated and tried to get in a better position to attack the monster.

Suddenly, the locked door burst from its hinges and flew across the room. It hit Kampé head on driving her into the stone wall on the opposite side of the room. The wall cracked under the impact. The entire side of the room crashed down, on top of the monster, sealing her under tons of rock and debris. We all stood there stunned, until I heard a very familiar voice.

"Close your mouth brain, you'll catch spiders," Thalia said, as she stepped into the room followed by Nico and two very familiar looking giants.

Jason ran forward and engulfed his sister in a hug, but my attention was glued to the one person absent from their group.

"Thalia!" I yelled. Thalia broke away from her brother and looked at me. "Where's Percy?"

All the color drained from Thalia's face, and even Nico looked paler than usual. She looked down at her feet sadly. "We got separated," she said.

"What in Hades does that mean?" I asked angrily. Thalia stepped back, surprised by my outburst.

"Brothers," Briares said as he ran to hug Kottus and Gyges. The three brothers hugged each other as they cried tears of joy. Everyone forgot about my previous question at the reunion taking place before us.

"We thought you dead, brother," Gyges said. Briares looked down at the ground sadly, remembering his time in Kampé's prison.

"He was in a prison, guarded by Kampé," Bianca said when she noticed Briares's solemn expression. Gyges and Kottus hugged their brother tightly.

I turned to Thalia; she smiled at the three brothers, but then she saw me looking at her. I walked over and grabbed her by the arm. She gave me an annoyed glare. My gaze softened as I saw the hurt in her eyes. I pulled her away from the others.

"Where's Percy?" I asked. Thalia looked at me sadly.

"We got separated," she said again.

"Yes, I know that, but what does that mean, exactly?" I asked, as I tried to control my temper. Thalia looked at me, and then she continued to tell me everything. When she got to the part about Percy sacrificing himself, so they could leave, I was so mad I could scream.

"That stupid Seaweed Brain! He promised to come back," I said.

Thalia put her hand on my shoulder. "We don't know that anything bad happened to him," Thalia reassured. However, I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't believe that.

"Of course something bad happened to him, or he would be here," I said, as the anger drained away, to be replaced with a sense of despair and worry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to go, but he insisted," Thalia said. I nodded.

"It's not your fault Thals, I guess it was destined to happen," I said. "I should have never split up the group. It was my decision, I'm the leader of the quest."

Thalia hugged me, and then she held my shoulder in both of her hands and looked at me sternly. "Kelp Head will be fine. I know he will. We have to believe in him. He's made it through much worse," Thalia said. I knew she was right.

I forced a smile. "You're right." We walked over to the others. By the looks on their faces I knew that Nico had told them about Percy.

"We have a quest to finish," I said. "Let's go." We all walked back into the Labyrinth with Grover and Rachel in the lead.

The further we walked the more light seemed to fill the tunnel. I kept looking at the walls of the tunnel as we walked, but I couldn't find a reason for the added light. It seemed like some godly power emanated from all around us. The further Rachel and Grover led us through the tunnel the brighter it became. Suddenly, they stopped at the end of the tunnel. Vines and weeds blocked the wide, tall entrance to another cavern. I hoped this one was friendlier than the last one.

"How do we get through?" Bianca asked. Grover and Rachel turned toward us, but Grover seemed lost in thought.

"Grover, what's wrong?" I asked. He turned toward me and I could tell by the light in his eyes that he sensed something important.

Grover took out his reed pipes and began to play. I didn't recognize the song, but I could tell that the vines and weeds that blocked the entrance did. The weeds receded into the cavern, followed by the vines. Grover finished playing and we all looked at him curiously.

"Way to go goat boy!" Thalia exclaimed. Grover blushed at her excitement.

Grover turned back to the entrance of the cavern. He leaned forward and peered inside. He looked back at us with a huge smile on his face. "Come on," he said, walking into the cavern. Rachel followed right behind him.

The rest of us followed more carefully. I hoped that we weren't headed for another trap. When we caught up with Grover and Rachel they stood in the center of the cavern. They looked around the room in wonder.

The walls were covered with vines, flowers and an assortment of plants I had never seen before. Even stranger than the plants were the animals that walked, crawled and flew around the room. I recognized some of them from books I had read. I saw a Dodo bird walking around the floor. On the other side of the room was a giant sloth. It lumbered quietly near the far wall of the room. A loud roar snapped me out of my shock. I looked on the other side of the room to see a huge lion like creature with huge canine teeth that protruded from its mouth. It was a sabertooth cat. The more I looked around the cavern the more I recognized. All of these animals were supposed to be extinct.

"Hello children, I've been expecting you," a voice said from the far corner of the cavern. I followed Grover as he searched for the voice. He immediately fell to the ground at the sight before us.

Sitting on a throne made of dirt, grass, vines and tree branches was a satyr, a very old one. The old satyr had the largest set of horns I had ever seen before; they were at least twice as long as his head. His beard was long and grey, and his furry legs were grey as well. The satyr's eyes were a deep brown color, but they were surrounded by a green aura.

"Lord Pan," Grover said as he looked up at the old satyr.

"My boy, I'm so glad that you came. I see you brought friends as well." The rest of us looked at him in awe. The old satyr was Pan, the god of the wild.

_**AN: I know this chapter was short, but I'm going on vacation in a day, so this will have to do until I return in a week. This chapter has been updated thanks to my Beta, Starlit Reader. Another great job, thank you.**_


	20. Lord of the Wild

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

_**AN: I'm back from vacation, and here is a new chapter.**_

Chapter 20: Lord of the Wild

_The Labyrinth - The Cave of the Lost_

**Annabeth POV**

We all bowed before the god of the wild. Even the three Hundred Handed Ones bowed to the once lost god.

"Thank you, but I should be the one that bows before you. Kottus, Gyges and Briares, it has been a long time," Pan said. The three giants nodded.

"Yes, it has," Briares said.

Grover ran up to the old satyr with a joyful grin. "My lord, we found you! Our quest is now complete," Grover said.

Pan looked at the young satyr sadly. "I cannot return," he said. "I'm fading, my boy. I have waited for you to find me."

"My lord, you can't fade. We need you," Grover said desperately.

Pan stood gingerly on his old goat legs. His image faded slightly, and then returned. Pan walked toward Grover, and then put his hands on the young satyr's shoulders and said, "It is too late. My work defending the wild is over. A younger satyr must take up the mantle. I no longer have the will to defend the few remaining wild places. I have seen too much death."

Tears seeped from Grover's eyes as he looked at his idol. "What will we do without you?" Grover asked in disbelief.

Pan looked at the young satyr with sad eyes, but also a look of hope. "I have chosen you to replace me, my child. You will be the new god of the wild. You will the lead the

satyrs. They need a young and forceful voice. I have watched you. You care more for the wild places than any satyr I have ever seen. You remind me of myself when I was a young god," Pan said.

Suddenly, a golden light enveloped Grover. His eyes glowed, and when the light faded the satyr stood proudly in front of the fading god.

"I will make you proud, my lord," Grover said.

Pan smiled at his successor and said, "You already have my boy." Pan looked at the rest of us and smiled. He walked up to Bianca and Nico. "I know your father. He really is a good man, but he has suffered much over the years. He has changed much since the young champion was born. He has learned to forgive, and both of you will need to learn this as well."

Bianca and Nico looked at each other before they bowed to the old god. "Yes, my lord," they both said, but by the looks on their faces they were equally confused by Pan's words.

The old satyr walked towards Jason and Thalia. "Your adoptive mother truly cares for both of you. She has acted terribly in the past, but hurt, betrayal and pain make people do terrible things. Forgive her and your father. Sometimes gods forget that their actions have consequences beyond those they wish to punish. The champion has made them see the error of their ways. He has shown them the need for love and family. Both of you must help continue his legacy." Jason and Thalia both nodded, but they both looked at each other in confusion not grasping the reason they needed to forgive their father and step-mother.

Pan walked to Tyson and the young Cyclops stared down in awe at the old god. Pan looked up at the young Cyclops with a happy smile on his face. "My young friend, do not forget that no matter your age, you can always be brave. Size and age do not make the warrior. Bravery and the strength of conviction are what matter most," Pan said. Tyson nodded.

Pan walked over to Rachel. She looked at the old satyr with wide eyes. "My child, your path is unique among your friends. You are blessed with the sight. Your fate will be an important one. It will be a role that has been needed for a long time. Never allow your father's work to get in the way of yours," Pan said as he smiled at the stunned mortal.

Pan walked towards me with a sad look on his face. He took my hands in his as he pulled me away from the others. "Child of Athena, you will have a tough time over the next year. Remember that the young champion loves you very much. The next year will be even tougher on him. He will rely on you and his family more than ever before. Remember to never give up hope. Remember to never give up hope. No matter how dark the path ahead will look, there will always be a light at the end. You both will overcome much. Have faith in yourself and him. Wisdom will not be enough, you must have faith," Pan said.

He walked over to his throne and sat down. By the time he sat down all the extinct animals in the cave had disappeared.

Grover stood in front of the old satyr. "My lord, where do gods go when they fade?" Grover asked.

"We go to the void, to live in peace with the creator," Pan said as a wry smile crossed his lips. The light in the cavern began to fade. Pan looked at Grover one last time before his image faded into a small orb of light. The light floated into the air of the cavern before it disappeared into the stone ceiling above.

I stepped up to Grover followed by my friends. The new god of the wild looked at us carefully. We stared at him, not really sure what to say. "Bla-ha-ha… Its still me," Grover said. We all smiled at our friend, thankful that he was still the same old satyr inside.

"Good to know that old goat boy is still in there," Thalia said with her usual eloquence.

"I'll always be there for you, pine cone face," Grover said with a mischievous smile.

"I'm sorry to breakup this emotional moment," I said. "but I think it's time to go home."

Grover smiled. He motioned for all of us to stand. His eyes glowed with power as a strange expression crossed over his face. "Stand around me in a circle and then close your eyes. I can get us back to camp, I think," Grover said. I rolled my eyes. Same old Grover. We quickly followed his directions. Our eyes as a warm feeling closed around us, and I knew we were on our way to camp.

_Falling towards the sea_

**Percy's POV**

I opened my eyes as I quickly regained consciousness. I looked down to see the blue ocean rushing towards me. I tried to use my armor to fly, but I was too weak. I felt a strange red-gold aura around me. The light began to swirl into a vortex, and I could feel the magical power behind it. It had to be Loki. This was Asgardian magic.

I held onto Mjolnir desperately and tried to close the vortex, but I couldn't. I was falling towards the vortex with no way of moving out of the way. I was barely able to hold onto my weapon. I closed my eyes as the vortex engulfed me.

I blacked out before I reached the end of the swirling tunnel of energy. I woke up many hours later lying on a hard surface. I looked down to see a crumbling black stone under my body. I was no longer as tired as I had been, but my body was sore all over.

I sat up as I tried to figure out where I was. I looked towards the sky, but the sight above me was like nothing I had seen before. The sky was as red as blood and three dim suns shone in the distance. Even with the far away stars, the place was warm, like I was surrounded by bonfires. I was sitting on top of a black rock outcrop that stretched out above a great plain that seemed to extend on forever. I stood to look over the edge of the cliff. Surrounding the plain were fires that soared up from large cracks in the surface. I could hear the sound of screams and moans, as if people were being tortured.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my armor. The armor began to glow as I slowly willed myself into the air. I flew high above the plain below, but I could still see the tortured souls below. It reminded me of the Fields of Punishment in the Underworld, but this place wasn't underground. No, this underworld was an entire planet.

I looked in the distance to see a blood red castle. A glowing orb of fire hovered above the tallest tower of the castle. I wasn't sure how, but I knew I would find out what I needed to know there. I flew on toward the castle until I was only a few meters from the ball of fire. I tried to keep my distance from the flames. I looked down into the castle to see an enormous plaza that was made out of grey stone. I lowered myself to the plaza and landed softly on the stone floor.

The plaza was the size of a football field and it led up to a set of black marble steps. I walked up the steps until I reached a large stone column that stretched up to the flaming orb, high above the castle. At the base of the column was a black throne, and sitting on the throne was a tall woman. She was thin and pale, like all the blood had been drained from her. She had black lips and her eyes glowed red like the fire above. Her black hair cascaded down her back. She was beautiful in a strange and terrifying way.

I stopped a small distance from the woman; her eyes never left mine. She stared at me like she was trying to figure me out. Her eyes flashed with flame, and then she smiled at me. She had fangs like a viper, but these fangs were so white that they shined even in the dim light of the three faraway suns.

"I have waited a long time for your arrival, child of Odin," the woman said.

"Where am I, and who are you?" I asked warily. The woman smiled again at my question.

"My name is Hela," she said, "and you're in my realm, Hel."

_**AN: I know, a short chapter, but I wanted to make sure that I gave all of you a chapter. For those of you that were hoping that Percy was going to see Calypso, sorry, but I think this is a nice little Norse mythology twist on the aftermath of the Mount Saint Helens incident. Grover is the new god of the wild like most people would expect, but what about Pan's advice to the others. Stay tuned more to come. By the way, I just updated this chapter based on my Beta, Starlit Reader's review. She did another great job.**_


	21. Hellacious News

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 21: Hel-lacious News

_Hel – The Palace of Hela_

**Third Person POV**

Percy stood uneasily in front of the throne of Hela, the Norse goddess of the dead. The goddess's red eyes stared into the demigod's as if she could see into his soul. A small smile crossed Hela's lips.

"Child of Odin, welcome to my realm. Your ancestors called this realm Niffelheim, but today it is simply known as Hel," Hela said. Her voice was cold, but strong.

"Why am I here?" Percy asked nervously.

Hela sat up on her throne with a sincere smile on her face. The sincerity of her smile contrasted with the coldness of her pale face and dark red eyes. "I brought you here to fulfill your grandfather's final request."

Percy looked at her in surprise. "Odin asked you to bring me here?"

Hela nodded. "The goddess of love tried to send you to Ogygia, but I intervened."

"How?"

Hela smiled as she motioned toward the glowing orb of fire that hovered above her palace. "This is the all-seeing Orb of Niffelheim. It allows me to look into the nine realms." Hela turned away from the orb and looked at demigod carefully. "If I have the permission of a parent or grandparent, I can even intervene to assist the child. In your case, the all-father asked me to look after you. He foresaw a time when you would need assistance. I thought this the perfect moment to assist you and fulfill my pledge."

He looked at the goddess of the dead skeptically. "What pledge? And why would you help me? You're my enemy's daughter."

"Yes, Loki is my father," Hela said with disdain. "I pledged my loyalty to Odin and he wanted me to present you with important information."

"What kind of information?" Percy asked curiously.

"Have you heard of the World Tree?" Hela asked.

"Of course. It's also known as Yggdrasil. The tree holds the nine realms together."

Hela nodded. "Correct. As you know, the ninth realm, Asgard, was destroyed. As Loki destroys each realm, his magical powers increase. Asgard was his first target and Midgard is next."

"I know he's after Midgard. Is that all you have to tell me?" Hela's eyes flared in anger.

"Do not presume to mock the knowledge I present you, boy," Hela said. Percy bowed his head, as it wasn't a good idea to tick off a goddess, especially in her own realm. "Loki wishes to destroy each realm because once he has completed that task; he will have enough magic to threaten the void itself."

Percy looked at the goddess in shock. "Why would he want to threaten Chaos?"

Hela sighed as if the explanation hurt her. "Loki wasn't always evil. In fact, he was a hero of Asgard, nearly as revered as Thor. Odin had adopted him as a small child during the war with the frost giants."

"He was a son of Odin and brother to Thor?" Percy asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Odin and Thor loved him, but when he found out he was adopted, he began to rebel against his family. He was actually a child of the giants, but they disowned him because of his small stature. Loki began to sire monsters such as Fenris and the Midgard Serpeant. I was born, but I wasn't a monster. He hated me from the start. He did not want a child to take care of, so I was left to fend for myself. Thankfully a few giants took pity on me."

The grandson of Odin paced in front of the goddess as she spoke. He stopped and looked at the goddess questioningly. "How did you become the goddess of Niffelheim?"

"When I was of age Loki appointed me caretaker of this realm. He had conquered it in battle. He hoped to appease my hatred for him with this prize, but I still loathed him. For many years I was an adversary of Thor and Odin, but in the end I agreed to work with them against my father. However, it was too late to stop Ragnorak." Hela looked at the demigod sadly.

"This still doesn't explain why he wants to threaten Chaos." The sadness in Hela's eyes disappeared, but it was replaced with a look of dread and worry.

"He's quite mad. His lust for power is insatiable. He will do anything to achieve ultimate power and nothing is more powerful than Chaos. He wants that power for himself and if his magic is strong enough, he may be able to drain the power from Chaos himself."

"Okay, so now I know what Loki's ultimate goal is, but how does that help me?" Hela smiled at the demigod.

"Perceptive. I can see a lot of Odin within you." Hela stood from her throne. Suddenly, two golden statues appeared in her hands. Each statue was a large raven. "I have gifts from your grandfather." The golden birds began to glow until two living ravens sat on each shoulder of the goddess. The ravens were so black that they appeared blue in color. They cawed loudly as they stared at Percy. Their eyes looked old and they seemed very intelligent.

"Who are they?" Hela smiled at the demigod again.

"This Muninn," Hela pointed to the raven on her right shoulder. "And this is Huginn." Hela pointed toward the bird on her left shoulder. "They are gifts from Odin."

"They're the eyes of the all-father." Hela's smile widened.

"Yes, they were your grandfather's most trusted friends and allies."

The birds flew from Hela's shoulders and landed on Percy's.

"I'm Muninn," the raven on Percy's left shoulder said, surprising the demigod with the strange sound of the bird's voice. The bird's voice was deep and seemed to emanate from the air itself.

"I'm Huginn," the bird on his right shoulder said, with a similar sounding voice to his twin.

"You can speak?" Percy asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, my lord, we are here to assist you," Huginn said as he bowed his head. This was a strange sight coming from a bird with such a large head compared to its body size.

Percy looked back toward Hela and bowed. "Thank you, my lady. But now I must return to Midgard," Percy said.

Hela shook her head as she climbed down the steps toward the demigod. She stopped just a few feet from the grandson of Odin. "I have more to tell you and teach you. Your friends and family will need you soon. You must be prepared," Hela said.

* * *

><p><em>Camp Half Blood - Hours later<em>

Three demigods sat on an old log overlooking the camp lake. The afternoon sun was slowly lowering in the sky. The three sat in silence for a while before the blonde haired daughter of Athena spoke.

"Luke, in your vision, could you tell what time of day it was?" Annabeth asked.

The son of Hermes turned to look at her. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, before he answered, "It was evening, just after the sunset."

"We have some time to talk before all Hades breaks loose," Annabeth said.

"We've been prepared for a fight for a while now. Chiron and Lupa had the campers set up defensive formations around Zeus's fist, once we came back with Daedalus. I have to admit, your half brother is a great strategist," Luke said.

Annabeth stared off into the calm waters of the lake. "It won't be enough, I'm afraid," Annabeth said.

Thalia shifted uncomfortably next to her best friend. "Go ahead, blame me," she said. "I know you're thinking I shouldn't have abandoned Percy."

Luke and Annabeth both looked at their friend in shock.

"We don't blame you Thalia," Luke said. He looked at Annabeth expectantly.

"Luke's right, you couldn't have stopped Percy from fighting Prometheus and his goons," Annabeth said.

"Besides, you all brought us help. We have the Hundred Handed Ones, that's got to count for something, right?" Luke asked.

"Thalia, snap out of it, it wasn't your fault. We need you to be ready to fight," Annabeth said.

"I know. I just wish that Percy was here," Thalia said.

Annabeth put her arm around her friend. "I do too," she said. After a few minutes Annabeth let go of her friend. "Why aren't the gods here helping to defend camp?"

Luke kicked at the ground angrily. "Chiron said that the ancient laws prevent them, since the enemy army does not include minor gods or Titans," Luke said.

"Loki is smart. He's going to destroy us, while the gods just watch from Olympus helplessly," Annabeth said.

"I hate the ancient laws," Thalia said.

"Don't we all," Luke agreed, as he skipped a rock across the surface of the lake.

Thalia looked at her feet sadly, before shifting her gaze back to her friends. "Where do you think Percy is?"

Annabeth sighed at the question. "I don't know."

"You don't think-," Luke said, before Annabeth cut him off.

"He's not dead. I would know, if he was," she said harshly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything," Luke said.

"It's okay. I'm sorry for snapping at both of you," Annabeth said.

"Wow, we really screwed up. On the eve of the biggest battle this camp has ever seen, and we're arguing. Doesn't seem very sane to me," Thalia said.

"You're right. We need to focus on what's ahead of us," Annabeth said.

"I'm sorry," Luke said. "I should have never betrayed you. I wish I never joined Kronos."

Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder. "We know you do. All you can do is try to make amends. Don't forget, we're family, and families look out for each other."

Thalia stretched out her hand in front of Luke and Annabeth. "To family," Thalia said.

Luke and Annabeth both placed their hands on top of the daughter of Zeus's. "To family," they said.

Suddenly, the conch horn sounded. The noise was followed by the sound of battle. The three demigods knew exactly where that noise emanated from, Zeus's Fist. They friends jumped to their feet and raced toward the sound of battle. Annabeth had her knife in her hand, Luke held his sword, and Thalia held her spear and the shield Aegis.

They reached the battle to see hordes of monsters erupting out of the rock outcrop known as Zeus's Fist. Monsters of all varieties poured out of the Labyrinth. The archers of Apollo, along with archers from Athena, Minerva, Mercury and Hermes fired dozens upon dozens of celestial bronze arrows at the Titan army.

Enemy demigods surged out of the Labyrinth, led by Ethan and Chris. Luke spotted Clarisse through the mayhem. She stared at Chris in anger and pain. Luke's face twisted as he saw the look on Clarisse's face.

The three Hundred Handed Ones fought alongside their Cyclops cousin, Tyson. Tyson fought furiously with the celestial bronze club that the Hephaestus cabin had made for him.

Chiron and Lupa directed their archers into the battle, while Annabeth, Jason, Luke and Thalia led the remaining campers into close quarters combat.

Daedalus fought side by side with the twins of Hades. He swung his sword, slicing an empousa in half before turning toward Nico and Bianca.

"Children of Hades, I need your assistance," Daedalus said.

"What do you need?" Bianca asked.

"There are too many enemies coming out of the Labyrinth." Daedalus said. He looked closely at the twins of Hades. "I need you to do something for me when the time is right."

"How can we help you?" Nico asked.

I'll need you to kill me," Daedalus answered.

_**AN: A short chapter, with a little action at the end. Much more action in the next chapter as the Battle of the Labyrinth continues. Thank you to Starlit for the advice and the review of this chapter. Great job as always**_


	22. Battle of the Labyrinth

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of 

Olympus. Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death 

Chapter 22: Battle of the Labyrinth 

_Camp Half Blood_

**Third Person POV**

"We can't kill you," Nico protested. Bianca looked at Daedalus in shock. The son of Athena grabbed the twins of Hades and pulled them behind a large boulder on the other side of Zeus's fist.

"I've cheated death long enough. My soul resides within this automaton body; I need the power of Hades to release my spirit, so I may finally reach the Underworld. When I die the Labyrinth dies with me."

Nico and Bianca both looked at the son of Athena in disgust. They knew it wasn't right to cheat death in such an unnatural way. "You're right it is wrong to cheat death, but we can't kill you in cold blood," Nico said. "You're not the enemy."

Daedalus watched the twins, a look of pain and guilt on his face. "I've done terrible things in order to live this long," Daedalus said. He stared at the twins with look on his face that showed all the guilt and anguish he had felt over the years.

Bianca stepped forward and placed her hand on the son of Athena's shoulder. "You have to understand, we've never killed another demigod before, only monsters," Bianca said.

"Don't you see," Daedalus said as he motioned towards himself. "I am a monster. I should be dead, but I live inside a machine. You're doing me a favor by releasing my soul, please."

Bianca and Nico both looked at each other as if they were having a silent discussion. They both turned toward Daedalus. "We'll do it," They agreed, but it was clear that this decision didn't sit well with them.

"Thank you," Daedalus said. "But the timing must be right. I will be able to feel when a second wave is about to erupt from the maze. You must kill me at the right time. When I die the Labyrinth will collapse and the enemy will die with me."

"We have to stay close together," Bianca said. Daedalus nodded, and the three of them ran back into the battle.

One the other side of Zeus's Fist the three Hundred Handed Ones fought evil Cyclops and other giant creatures. Their presence gave the demigods hope and helped to stem the tide before the camp could be overrun. Unfortunately, more and more enemies came out of the maze, but it still wasn't time for Daedalus's plan.

Annabeth, Luke, Thalia and Jason fought against the enemy monsters. Luke and Annabeth fought as a superb team as they used their combined skills with a blade to take down empousai and dragon women. Jason and Thalia used their powers over lightning to flatten entire groups of sea demons and hellhounds.

Clarisse and Reyna led their armies against the enemy. The two forces fought monsters and a large group of enemy demigods. Clarisse killed a Cyclops, but as she cleaned the monster dust off her spear she felt a presence behind her. She turned to see the smiling face of the one person she didn't want to see, Chris Rodriguez. Chris looked at the daughter of Ares with hate in his eyes.

"So, we finally meet again," Chris said.

"You traitor, you piece of hellhound crap," Clarisse spat.

"Now is that anyway to greet an old friend?" Chris asked sarcastically.

"You're not my friend. I'm going to kill you," Clarisse said.

Chris smiled at the daughter of Ares. "Bring it on," Chris said.

Clarisse's anger rose and the tip of her electric spear glowed red with power. She pushed her spear forward, but Chris blocked it with his shield. The son of Hermes had a celestial bronze sword in his hand as he circled the daughter of the war god.

Clarisse stared into the eyes of the boy she had once cared for deeply. But now he was a hated enemy. For some people that would have been a hard thing to get over, but Clarisse had learned that in war nothing was ever fair. She lunged forward with her spear, but Chris spun out of the way.

Clarisse threw her shield. The razor-sharp edge of the shield hit home against the son of Hermes's thigh. Chris cursed loudly as he limped away from Clarisse's outstretched spear.

"Give up, Rodriguez, you're a coward we both know it," Clarisse challenged.

Chris glared at the daughter of Ares before he screamed and charged forward with his sword positioned like a javelin. Clarisse set her spear into the ground with the electric point facing the chest of her enemy. Chris's sword grazed her shoulder, but her spear pierced his chest. Chris's eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to the ground.

Clarisse walked up to her former friend. His eyes were open; they were filled with a look of shock and surprise. She pulled the spear out of his chest and closed his eyes. She looked down at her former friend and whispered, "At least you died with honor."

"You bitch, Chris was my friend, I will kill you," Ethan Nakamura said as he walked up to Clarisse. He wiped someone's blood off his sword as he approached the daughter of Ares.

"I'll kill you too, you one eyed sack of minotaur dung," Clarisse spat.

Ethan smiled at her evilly. "Tough talk, its too bad that even your father thinks of you as a failure and a fool," he said. "Just like your little brother back there." Ethan motioned towards the bloodied and still form of a boy on the ground behind him.

Clarisse looked behind the son of Nemesis to see her younger brother Alec. His lifeless body lay on the ground as a pool of blood spread out from a massive wound in his chest.

"You bastard, I'll kill you," Clarisse's eyes burned red like her father's.

Ethan's devious smile grew. "We'll see."

On the other side of the battlefield, Jason and Thalia fought against a group of Cyclopes wielding enormous clubs made of bronze and wood. Two Cyclopes remained as Jason flew into the air. He distracted the monsters while his sister tried to kill them with her spear.

One Cyclops swung his club and barely missed Jason. Thalia pushed her spear into the giant's calf. The monster lost his balance and fell over on top of the other giant. Jason landed and helped his sister up onto her feet.

"You alright, sis?" he asked.

"Yeah- watch out!" Thalia yelled, pushing her brother out of the way as a ginormous boulder landed on the ground with a bone crushing thud. They both sat up to see the two Cyclops standing over them. Suddenly, the sound of dozens of arrows could be heard. Thalia and Jason looked up to see the two Cyclops frozen before them as celestial bronze arrows pierced their faces and throats. The giants began to fall forward onto Jason and Thalia, but before the two demigods could be crushed the monsters turned to dust.

The children of the sky stood and brushed the monster remains from their clothes and armor. They turned to see Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew of the Apollo cabin with their siblings behind them.

Suddenly, a spear flew through the air toward the children of Apollo. Lee pushed his younger brother out of the way, and the spear pierced the leader of the Apollo cabin's back. Lee's lifeless body fell into the arms of his brother Michael.

Thalia and Jason both looked on in stunned silence before they turned and charged back into battle. Chiron and Lupa fought side by side near the great pine tree on top of Half Blood Hill, but even during the battle they could sense the death and injuries of their campers. This realization only spurred them on as Chiron fired arrow upon arrow into the ranks of the enemy.

Lupa for her part charged forward with her massive claws and teeth ready for the fight. She latched onto the throat of one hellhound before ripping the creature's head off. She turned toward an empousa and sliced the creature nearly in two with a swipe of her claws. The two camp directors fought fiercely, providing the inspiration that their campers so desperately needed.

Nearby, Luke ran toward the battle, only to trip and fall to the ground hard. Luke stood up and looked behind him. He saw the still form of a camper, he must have tripped over him as he ran. Luke turned the camper over to reveal Castor, one of the sons of Dionysus. The boy's throat had been ripped out by an empousa. Luke gasped at the sight, but before he could react a clawed flipper smacked the son of Hermes in the back sending him into the ground hard. Luke rolled along, his battle reflexes taking over. He stood up quickly with his sword in hand. The telekhine was about to charge, but it vaporized into dust before Luke's eyes. The air began to shimmer where the monster once stood, and in its place was Annabeth. Luke smiled at his friend. "Thanks, Annabeth," Luke said.

"Well, are you going to sit there all day or are you going to fight?" she asked sarcastically as she placed her invisibility cap back on her head. Luke smiled at her before wiping the dirt off his clothes and armor. The two ran back into the heat of battle.

The battle raged on for what seemed like hours, but with one noticeable difference: the number of monsters coming out of the maze had ceased. Now for most this would seem like a good thing, but for Daedalus it meant something completely different. Daedalus killed his last Cyclops before turning back toward the twins of Hades.

"Bianca and Nico, the time is at hand," Daedalus said. The two children of Hades stared at the ancient son of Athena questioningly.

"Why now? There aren't any more enemies coming out of the maze," Bianca asked.

"That's because they are massing in force to come through in one wave to overwhelm the camp. This is our time to destroy the remainder of their army while we can. We're holding our own now, but another wave of monsters would surely destroy us."

Bianca and Nico looked at each other, and then back toward the son of Athena. "What do we do?" the twins asked in unison. Before they could answer a Hyperborean giant broke through a group of trees just on the other side of Zeus's Fist, carrying a large block of ice in the shape of a spear. Daedalus stepped in front of the twins of Hades protectively as the giant approached. The monster raised his spear and was about to strike when a loud howl echoed across the battlefield. The giant turned, but a dark shape slammed into the giant sending the monster flying into a group of trees.

The giant rose to attack the new threat only to be slashed on its back by massive claws. The frost giant screamed in agony. The giant finally arose and came face to face with his attacker.

"Mrs. O'Leary!" Daedalus yelled.

The hellhound bared her teeth threateningly. The giant winced as the wounds on his back opened up. He raised his ice spear into the air and threw it at the hellhound. Mrs. O'Leary stood her ground, and then did something amazing. Her eyes flashed with red flames as her mouth spewed forth a plume of fire that melted the spear before it could reach her. The three demigods stared in wonder at the hellhound.

The giant stood in shock before he was rudely interrupted by the sudden charge of the hellhound. Mrs. O'Leary leapt into the air and grabbed the giant around the throat. She twisted her body with one quick movement, snapping the giant's neck, while jerking its body onto the hard ground below. The giant landed with a loud crash before dissolving into powdery snow.

Daedalus was the first to recover as the ground beneath Zeus's Fist began to rumble. "They're coming," he yelled at the twins of Hades. "You need to stab me with your swords!"

Bianca and Nico stared at Daedalus at first before they pulled out their Stygian iron swords. They stared at each other with sadness in their eyes before they stabbed the ancient son of Athena in the chest. The automaton body stopped moving and fell to its knees. Bianca and Nico gripped their swords as their blades began to pull the spirit of Daedalus out of the machine body. After only a few seconds the eyes of the automaton grew dim and the body collapsed.

The ground began to shake violently, sending monsters and demigods falling to the earth. The opening to the Labyrinth began to glow until an explosion of light and rock erupted out of the entrance. Screams of monsters could be heard as the entrance closed and the Labyrinth collapsed upon itself. The battleground around Zeus's Fist became quiet as the few remaining monsters and enemy demigods staggered to their feet.

The campers rose with weapons raised as a surge of euphoria ran through the camp. Luke, Jason, Thalia and Annabeth surged forward with the other campers, pushing the enemy to Thalia's tree. Ethan Nakamura led the remaining forces as he stopped his stalemated battle with Clarisse. Ethan and the few enemy demigods sprinted through the camp border and fled from the battle, but the monsters weren't so lucky. They were trapped against the camp boundary; the magic of the boundary that kept monsters out of camp also kept them trapped inside. The demigods surged forward and cut the remaining enemy monsters to shreds, leaving piles of monster dust at the foot of the pine tree.

Peleus the dragon burnt the final enemy monster into dust before settling back down around his tree. The demigods, both Roman and Greek, cheered in triumph at the end of the hard fought battle.

The euphoria ebbed as the realization of the numerous casualties finally took its toll on the half bloods. Chiron and Lupa moved to the front of the group as the campers parted to let them through. They reached Thalia's tree to be greeted by the leaders of the demigods. Jason, Reyna, Bobby and Gwen were the only Roman leaders still alive, while Annabeth, Luke, Thalia, Clarisse, Nico and Bianca stood triumphantly next to their comrades. The other demigods had left to tend to the dead and wounded.

Chiron stepped forward, "Heroes, I commend you all on a hard fought victory. We have lost many fine demigods this day, and we shall honor their memory." Suddenly, a swirling mass of wind and light began to materialize between Thalia's tree and the camp boundary below. Chiron, Lupa and the demigod leaders backed away from the boundary and in front of the pine tree. Peleus glared at the swirling mass of energy as a lone figure stepped out into the moonlit night. The man was tall and wore glittering golden armor. His hair was coal black and his eyes were as dark, lifeless and cold like the depths of space. He carried a golden staff that crackled with energy. It was clearly Loki, Norse god of evil, magic, fire and mischief.

Once through the vortex, he motioned for those behind him to move through. Three terrifying monsters stepped through behind him. These monsters were each completely different, but horrible all the same.

The first was a large wolf, as black as night with glowing blue eyes; it was Fenris. The massive wolf glared his cold eyes at each one of the demigods.

The other creature looked like a canine of some sort, but it was blood red in color with eyes that glowed like hellfire. The creature had small horns behind its eyes with a large spike behind each shoulder.

The last creature was huge, many times larger than the dragon Peleus. The monster was a giant snake with a dragon's head. This monster would have been very familiar to the Champion of Olympus, as this was the one creature that had come closest to killing him; it was Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent.

Loki stepped forward as Lupa and Chiron stood in front of the children with their weapons at the ready. Loki raised his staff and an energy field of some type surrounded the demigod leaders and the camp directors as well as Thalia's tree and Peleus.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lupa growled.

Loki smiled at the wolf before chuckling softly. "I know I should be angry since you defeated my army, but they were just a group of monsters and foolish demigods. No, I really did not come here to destroy your precious camp. Actually, I want nothing more than to destroy all of you. The other children of the gods would be easy pickings once their leaders are dead."

"We will not die so easily," Chiron said.

Loki smiled again. "Let me introduce you all to my children. This fine wolf is Fenris, this beautiful hound is Garmm, and finally my oldest and dearest child, Jormungand. I believe Perseus has already met them. Where is your champion?" Loki asked fiendishly.

"He was lost battling Prometheus in the forge," Thalia said as she stepped forward and stood at Chiron's side.

"Ah, child of Zeus, it is too bad that such a pretty girl should die, but all good things must come to an end," Loki said. "No fear, Perseus is alive. I saved him from a terrible fate. Your goddess of love would have sent him to Ogygia; I kept him away from the clutches of that Titaness, Calypso. Annabeth, I bet you're happy about that."

It was clear by his evil smirk that he hadn't saved Percy for any benevolent reason.

"What have you done to him?" Annabeth asked angrily, running to Thalia's side.

Loki grinned at the daughter of Athena. "I sent him to visit my youngest child. I hope that she will keep him for all eternity."

"What do you mean?" Chiron asked.

"I sent him to Niffelheim, to Hel itself. My daughter Hela shall keep him in her world of the dead for all eternity," Loki said as a huge smile crossed his lips.

"You're lying," Annabeth yelled.

"It's too bad that when you die, your soul goes to the Greek underworld, or you could actually be with the one you love," Loki said, faking a sad look.

"Leave her alone, you bastard," Luke yelled.

"Ah, the traitor of traitors. I see that you've gone back to your father's side. Kronos was always a bad judge of character... look how I was able to trick him," Loki said slyly.

"Enough, Loki. If you wish to fight us, then be done with it," Lupa growled.

"So willing to die for your beloved gods. Where are they, mother of Rome?" Loki asked mockingly.

Suddenly, fourteen bright lights appeared on the outside of the magic force field. When the lights dissolved, all of the Olympians stood with looks of anger and worry on their faces.

"Good, there you all are. I want you to see me kill your children and their beloved teachers," Loki chuckled.

Zeus stood on the outside of the boundary with the master bolt in his hand. "Let them go," he demanded. "That's an order."

Loki laughed at Zeus. "You should have been a comedian, Zeus. I take no orders from the likes of you, Greek. I will destroy your children, and you all shall watch helplessly, just as you watched them fight for their lives here today."

Zeus launched the master bolt at the shield, but the power of the weapon was absorbed into the barrier without even a hint of damage.

Loki laughed at the king of the gods. "You see now how helpless you are, even when you choose to help."

"We could not help them before," Hera said. "The ancient laws forbid it."

"Hera, the most devious of goddesses. I'm sure your adopted children would love to learn about your treachery. Prometheus told me the profound impact it had on Perseus before his demise." Hera glared at the Norse god.

"What are you talking about?" Zeus asked curiously.

"Don't play so innocent. You have done terrible things yourself to these children, have you not?" Loki asked.

Zeus looked at Hades for a moment before turning back to Loki.

Hades frowned at Zeus. It was clear that he understood what Loki was talking about.

"Father, what does he mean?" Athena asked.

"Oh, wise goddess, your uncle Hades knows all too well," Loki said.

Athena looked at Hades, but he would not meet her gaze. Loki smiled at the reluctance of the eldest gods.

"I guess explanations are in order. Prometheus showed Perseus in the forge the treachery that Zeus, Hera and Hades have played in most recent times. Most of you know of the terrible deeds the gods have done to each other over the millennia, but this is recent and it has caused much pain and heartache."

"Loki, stop your lies," Zeus roared.

"Lies? For once I speak only the truth, son of Kronos. You killed Maria Di Angelo, mother of the twins of Hades, and if you had your way the children would have died with their mother," Loki said.

Bianca and Nico gasped. "Father, is this true?" Bianca asked as tears welled up in her eyes. Hades stared at his children. The sorrow was evident in his eyes as the events of that day played again in his mind.

"Yes, my brother killed your mother," Hades said.

The other gods looked on in shock, except for Apollo. Apollo's expression did not go unnoticed by Artemis. "You knew, didn't you?" Artemis asked.

Apollo nodded slightly. "Yes, my Oracle foresaw her death. She tried to warn you, uncle," he said.

"I couldn't get Maria to listen to me. She insulted Zeus; she thought I could protect her," Hades said. Zeus stepped closer to the boundary. "I'm sorry for what I did that day. If I could-"

Nico cut him off. "Just stop it! We don't want to hear it, just stay away from us," Nico yelled as he grabbed his sister and held her close. Bianca's tears streamed down her face as she cried into her brother's shoulder.

"Hades, what you did was nearly as bad, was it not?" Loki asked.

Hades stared into the lifeless eyes of the Norse god. "I don't know what you speak of," Hades said.

"You cannot lie to me. You cursed the poor Oracle because of your grief and anger, the same curse that destroyed the mind of May Castellan. The day you cursed the Oracle, you destroyed two lives, not just one. You also caused the pain and anguish of two others."

Loki looked pointedly first at Hermes, and then at Luke. Luke and Hermes both glared at Hades, who just looked at the ground. He clearly remembered the curse he leveled upon the girl, so many years ago.

"I'm sorry too, I let my anger get the best-" Hades said before Luke cut him off.

"I can't believe you," Luke yelled. "You don't care about mortals, none of you do. That was why I joined Kronos, but clearly the Titans are just as bad. The world would be a better place without any of you."

"Well said, child of Hermes. I think this world would be better off without them as well. However, I've saved the greatest treachery for last. Isn't that right, Hera?" Loki said.

Hera stared at Loki before turning away quickly. "I don't-," she said before Loki cut her off.

"I have to; the children and their father need to know. If Hades and Zeus think that their anger is terrible, well, they have nothing on you, my lady."

He turned and addressed the others. "Hera took out her vengeance on the mother of Jason and Thalia Grace. She cursed her with alcoholism and in turn she convinced Jupiter to give up his son to the Roman Camp. But that wasn't the worst, was it Hera?" Loki asked.

"Hera, what does he mean?" Zeus asked.

"I'm sorry-," Hera said, but Loki cut her off again.

"It's too late for that now. Hera promised not to hurt Thalia, if she became Jason's patron. But you didn't honor that promise, did you?" Loki asked.

"What good does it do to bring this up now?" Hera asked desperately.

"Hera, what did you do?" Zeus asked angrily.

"It is the truth; as the mortals say, it will set you free. You broke your promise, Hera. You summoned the monsters that fought Thalia and her friends all the way to the borders of Camp Half Blood. You were the one that tried to kill your adoptive daughter, all because of your feelings of jealousy, hatred and betrayal."

"Hera, how could you do this?" Zeus asked.

"You tried to kill me and you cursed our mother," Thalia said angrily. "Everything was your fault. You let me love you like a daughter. You're monsters, both of you!" She glared at Hera and Zeus with betrayal, pain and sorrow in her eyes. Jason held onto his sister tightly. He had been too young to remember any of these events, but his angry glare showed that his heart was full of hatred toward his father and stepmother.

Loki began to laugh. "I love family squabbles," he said. "These secrets are so much better than the ones in my old family. Now I leave my children here to destroy you. Olympians, you will see my face again soon, and that time will signal the end of your reign. This world's days are numbered."

Suddenly, a vortex of lightning, rain and energy formed between Thalia's tree and Loki. The god of evil stared in shock as a figure strode out of the maelstrom. The figure finally shone brightly in the moonlight as his sea green armor glowed with power. In his hand was the greatest weapon this galaxy had ever seen, Mjolnir.

"You. It can't be," Loki yelled."Hela betrayed me again."

"She was never on your side, uncle," Percy said.

"Uncle. So, you know the truth now?" Loki asked.

"I know you were once the adopted son of Odin and brother to Thor," Percy said.

The vortex continued to spin behind him. "They are dead," Loki growled. "Feel free to join them. Attack, my children!" The three monsters stormed forward, but Perseus raised his hand in anticipation. Out of the vortex behind him exploded an army of ghostly figures of Norse soldiers, fresh from the halls of Valhalla itself. A hundred strong, these ghostly warriors attacked the three monsters, tearing them to pieces with their ghostly weapons and soul-stealing touch.

The three monsters disappeared under an onslaught of attacks, until nothing was left of the creatures or the ghostly warriors, except for a faint blue ball of energy that ascended into the sky on its way to the great void.

Loki stared in complete shock at what had happened. His plans had been ruined. He clutched his magic staff in his hands and pointed the magical weapon at the grandson of Odin. "You will die by my hand, mortal," Loki said. A blast of godly energy shot forward, but Perseus held Mjolnir in front of him and the magic weapon absorbed the power effortlessly.

Loki frowned, his eyes filled with hatred. "You will pay for that," he spat.

The two warriors charged at the same time. Loki's staff moved in a powerful arc as it made its way down to meet the demigod. Percy swung Mjolnir at the same time in an upward swipe. The two weapons crashed together, causing a massive explosion that blew apart the force field, sending demigods and gods flying in all directions.

The light and energy of the explosion subsided to reveal Percy holding Mjolnir and Loki clutching the shattered remains of his staff in disbelief.

"You may have won this battle, child of the gods, but I will return for your destruction," Loki hissed. "Remember, you are but a mortal and I am a god. In our next battle, you shall die." Loki began to glow, causing all of the demigods to turn away as the god of evil disappeared into a black cloud of mist.

**_AN: This may be my longest chapter ever, but I wanted an epic battle. I hope it lived up to my aspirations. Starlit Reader did her best job yet betaing this chaper, thanks for all the great advice and ideas. Stay tuned more to come._**


	23. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 23: Aftermath

_Camp Half Blood_

**Third Person POV**

Percy's armor glowed in the bright moonlight as he stood not too far from Thalia's tree. The gods, demigods and immortals finally stood up. When they looked at Percy they were all still in shock at his short fight with Loki. The gods rushed forward to greet the Champion of Olympus. Percy turned toward them with Mjolnir still in his hand. The gods stopped short at the sight of the magic weapon.

"Perseus," Hera said. This was the first time that she had seen her adopted son alive in months. She and most of the other Olympians believed that he had died on Mount Othrys. When Athena and Artemis had reported that he was alive and in the Labyrinth the other gods were skeptical, but now, here he was standing before them, very much alive.

Percy looked at his adoptive mother, but his gaze was harsh, something the queen of the gods had never seen directed towards her before. "I know about everything," Percy said simply. Hera looked down at the ground for a moment, so did Hades and Zeus.

"Son, we're sorry about-" Zeus said before Percy cut him off.

"I've never been ashamed to be your son," Percy said as he looked at Hera and Zeus. "Or your nephew." Percy glared at Hades. "But now, I am."

Zeus gave his adopted son a sad look before he collected himself. Zeus approached Percy proudly. "That is no way to speak to your father or the king of the gods," he rebuked.

Percy stepped toward the king of the gods; his glare was enough to make even the almighty king of the gods flinch. "I know who I am, and I'm not your son anymore," Percy said.

Zeus's eyes flared in anger as the master bolt appeared in his hand. "You dare to speak that way to me," Zeus said angrily, but Percy ignored him.

Percy stood up straight and raised Mjolnir into the air. "I, Perseus Jackson, do hereby renounce my title as the adopted child of Zeus and Hera. From now on I will be known as a child of Odin and heir to Thor."

All of the gods stood in shock as lightning shot across the sky and thunder exploded overhead. Zeus looked into the sky; he had nothing to do with the spectacle.

Hestia stepped between Zeus and Percy. "Perseus, please don't do this. You're angry and you have every right to be, but don't throw away your family," Hestia urged.

"Hestia, you and Demeter are still my aunts, but I will have nothing to do with them," Percy said as he pointed toward Zeus, Hera and Hades.

Hades stepped away from his sister and brother. "Perseus, I didn't mean to cause harm. I was angry, and—"

"Yes you did, you meant exactly what you did to the oracle. You are nearly as bad as your brother and sister." Percy took a few deep breaths to calm his anger. "I don't wish to fight you, but I cannot look upon the three of you at moment without anger and resentment." Percy looked at Thalia, Jason, Nico and Bianca; the four demigods looked at him with tears still in their eyes. "I might be able to forgive you Hades, but I can't forgive them." Percy said as he pointed toward Zeus and Hera.

"Percy," Hera said, her voice was unusually quiet. "Please don't do this." Hera's voice was pleading now. Percy stopped and looked at her with a pained expression.

"This is the hardest thing that I've ever done. I loved you most of all, but what you did can never be forgiven. Out of all the betrayals, yours was the worst."

He walked past Thalia's tree. The other gods and demigods just stood there and watched the Champion of Olympus walk towards the ocean. His expression was sad and his shoulders sagged as he strode toward the sea.

Zeus's angry expression left him as he watched Perseus walk away. He looked at Jason and Thalia; his two children were pointedly glaring in the opposite direction. He looked at his wife sadly before he disappeared into a golden light. Hera stared after Percy for a few more seconds, and then followed her husband to Olympus.

Hades stared at Bianca and Nico, but his children's eyes were filled with sorrow and pain. He turned away quickly and willed the nearest shadow to swallow him in darkness.

Chiron and Lupa directed the other campers away from the tree and back to the aftermath of the battle. There were still too many dead and injured to take care of. The other gods followed their children, except for Athena and Hermes. Hermes walked to Luke, but his son turned away. Hermes sighed and walked back toward Zeus's Fist to help his other children.

Athena walked up to Annabeth; the goddess's favorite daughter flung herself into her mother's arms. Annabeth held onto her mother, but she held strong taking strength from her mother.

Athena was clearly unaccustomed to such an emotional outburst, but she comforted her daughter as best she could. Athena looked at remaining demigods on the hilltop. Bianca and Nico held onto each other as they continued to cry for their lost mother. Jason and Thalia continued to hold onto each other, but their tears were long gone. They're resentment for their father and step-mother was evident as lightning seemed to flash across their blue eyes.

"We should all speak to Perseus," Athena urged. The six demigods looked at the goddess. Athena walked toward the beach with Annabeth beside her. Thalia and Jason followed close behind her. Nico and Bianca finally separated as they rushed to catch up with their friends. Luke was the last to follow. He looked at Thalia's tree and the dragon beneath it. He lowered his head and walked toward the beach.

All of the demigods walked to the beach in silence. They didn't dare speak in case someone would explode in anger or in sadness. When they arrived at the beach they saw Percy sitting in the sand. His armor was gone and so was Mjolnir. Percy sat on the beach in his faded jeans and blue shirt. He must have heard the group walking toward him because he quickly wiped his eyes before turning around.

"Perseus," Athena said cautiously.

"Yes? Do you need something?"

"I'm sorry. Are you sure you did the right thing?" Athena asked.

Percy stood up quickly as he continued to look into her eyes intensely. He nodded and glanced around at his friends. When he saw Annabeth his gaze focused on her. The daughter of Athena stared back at him sadly.

"I'm sorry, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said. She crossed the distance between them. They hugged tightly and a small smile crossed Athena's lips. They broke apart, but Percy placed his arm around her shoulders protectively.

"Where are you planning on staying now?" Athena asked.

Percy smiled knowingly at his former adopted sister and stepped away from Annabeth. "I have a place in mind."

He summoned Mjolnir and began to speak a spell in the ancient language of Asgard, a language now only known by the last child of the Aesir. Mjolnir glowed as bright as a star as a powerful beam of light shot from the weapon and hit an empty hill that overlooked the ocean. When the light subsided a tall tower made of dark grey stone stood on top of the hill. It was just a little taller than the Big House, but it seemed to emanate with power. Everyone stared at it in wonder.

"What is that?" Athena asked curiously.

"A gift from the all-father," Percy said. "It's a small part of a dead world, a piece of Asgard."

Annabeth stared at the tower in wonder. "Such a simple design, but still beautiful," she proclaimed. Percy smiled at her.

"I must agree," Athena said. She cleared her throat. "I must go help my other children, many are injured." The goddess walked off the beach. Annabeth stared after her mother before turning towards Percy.

Percy smiled at his girlfriend. "I'll be fine," he said. Annabeth ran off to help her mother and siblings.

Percy turned towards his other friends. Before he could even say anything, Thalia ran and engulfed him in a warm embrace. Percy held onto the girl he would always consider his little sister. Thalia cried into his shirt. They finally separated as Jason joined them. Percy hugged the son of Jupiter.

"This doesn't change anything. I will always be your big brother," Percy said.

Thalia and Jason smiled at him. "Can we stay with you?" Jason asked.

Percy smiled in return. "Of course. I'll meet you inside." He motioned towards the tower. Thalia and Jason ran towards the last remnant of Asgard.

Nico and Bianca ran to Percy. The three demigods hugged tightly.

"I'm so sorry about your mother," Percy said sadly.

Nico and Bianca wiped their eyes and nodded. "We need to help bury Daedalus's body" Bianca said. Nico nodded.

"You can come visit when you're ready, but I think your father would like to talk to you," Percy said. "I think he needs you both, he needs to know that you still love him."

"He really cursed the oracle?" Nico asked.

Percy looked at his friend sadly. "Yes, but he was angry, you're mother died and he blames himself," Percy explained.

"We'll go see him, after we help with the dead," Bianca said before she pulled Nico along with her. Percy watched his two cousins sadly as they walked back toward Zeus's Fist.

That left Percy and Luke on the beach. Percy looked at his friend-turned-enemy. The Champion of Olympus shook his head sadly as he approached the son of Hermes. Luke looked up at Percy warily.

"Percy, I-" Luke said, but Percy interrupted him.

"I forgive you. I-I'm s-sorry about your m-mom," Percy stammered. "Don't blame your dad; it wasn't his fault," Percy urged.

Luke stared at Percy in shock. "You forgive me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," he said. "I… I was mad at you when I saw you come back to us, but I think it was more… jealousy than anything else." Percy cleared his throat as he looked down at the ground. "I was envious of how close you are to Annabeth," Percy admitted.

"I love her like a sister," Luke explained.

"I know," Percy said as he looked up at the son of Hermes. Luke smiled. "Friends?" Percy asked as he extended his hand. Luke took his hand and shook tightly.

"Always," Luke said. The two newly-declared friends smiled at each other.

"Now go talk to your dad," Percy ordered playfully. Luke mock-saluted before running off toward Zeus's Fist.

A loud bark came over the hill, and a large dark object ran toward the grandson of Odin. Percy summoned Mjolnir as the large hellhound ran towards him. Percy was about to fire a blast of lightning before he recognized the large canine.

"You're Mrs. O'Leary, aren't you?" Percy asked. The large dog's tail hit the sand, causing a small sand storm. Percy smiled at the enthusiasm of the hound. "Sit, girl." Mrs. O'Leary immediately sat down and looked at Percy curiously.

"I have a surprise for you." Percy held Mjolnir out toward the hellhound. He spoke in the language of Asgard, and then he said, "Child of Cerberus and child of Garm, child of the Underworld, child of Niffelheim. I call upon the powers of the Greeks and the Norse. Reveal your power to the world."

Mrs. O'Leary began to glow. Her body grew in size until she was now the size of a very large dump truck. Her black fur now had red tiger stripes and two large red horns extended from her head, just above her eyes. Her red eyes turned brighter and seemed to pulse with flames. When she exhaled, small amounts of smoke erupted from her nostrils.

"Behold, Mrs. O'Leary, grand-daughter of Cerberus and Garm, guardian of the Tower of Asgard," Percy said. He walked over to the massive hellhound and stroked her head whispering, "Go, protect your home." He patted her on the back. Mrs. O'Leary barked loudly; the noise sounded like a cannon exploding. Percy smiled as she ran towards the tower. A large door opened in the base of the tower; the hellhound rushed into the opening before the door closed behind her.

Suddenly, two lights appeared in the sky over the beach. Percy smiled at the two large ravens that dove from the heavens. They landed on a rock outcrop just a few steps from their master.

"An impressive display of power, my lord," Huginn complimented.

Percy grimaced. "I thought I told you two not to call me lord."

"Yes, my lord," Muninn said. If a raven could smile mischievously, then this raven would have done so. Percy just shook his head in exasperation.

"Do you have a message from Hela?"

"She wished you luck and she said to always keep your guard up. Her father is not one to underestimate," Huginn relayed.

"I agree. Are you two going to stay here?" Percy asked. The two ravens looked at him curiously, and then they looked at each other.

"I think—" Huginn started.

"—you need—" Muninn added.

"—all the help—"

"—you can get."

Percy smiled at his friends as he motioned towards the tower. The two birds flew off towards the Tower of Asgard. They landed in a large perch at the top of the tower.

Percy shook his head. "Those two are as bad as George and Martha," Percy said as he walked towards his new home.

_**AN: That's the end of Maze of Death. I'm still working on part of the premise for the last story in this series, but I guess you can figure some of it out by this last part of the chapter. Thank you to Starlit Reader for all her help with this story, she did a great job. Also, thank you to all my reviewers, stay tuned a new story will begin in the next week or two. Also, there is a little next chapter, the epilogue, I couldn't leave you all without a little more Loki.**_


	24. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians nor do I own The Heroes of Olympus.

Story: Champion of Olympus: The Maze of Death

Chapter 24: Epilogue

_Mount Othrys – Two Weeks Later_

**Third Person POV**

Loki paced the stone floor of the throne room; his black eyes pulsed with anger. The other thrones were unoccupied at the moment, but that would not always be the case.

Suddenly, the large celestial bronze doors opened to reveal a tall man with dark grey hair and silver eyes. He wore a dark red tunic under silver armor. The man approached the throne before bowing before the god of evil.

"Iapetus. Why are you here?" Loki asked angrily.

"I… I wished to see if there was anything y-you need me to do?" Iapetus asked nervously.

Something flashed across Loki's eyes as if an idea had just come to the Norse god. He stopped pacing the floor as his an evil grin spread across his face. "Tell me about your mother," Loki ordered.

Iapetus looked at Loki oddly before bowing once more. "As you wish," Iapetus said before he went into a long tale about his mother Gaea.

"So Tartarus is her brother?" Loki asked at one point.

"Yes, my lord."

"Where is your mother currently?"

Iapetus stared at Loki questioningly. "Why?"

Loki stepped closer to the titan as his eyes pulsed with anger.

Iapetus stepped back under the ferocious glare of the god of evil.

"Tell me."

Iapetus bowed once more before continuing. "She is rumored to be located on the island of Crete under a mountain called Mount Dikti. There is a cave in that mountain that was rumored to be the location of the birth of Zeus by my sister Rhea. It is thought that her location may be accessed somewhere in the cave, but no one has ever found it before."

Loki stepped up to his throne and sat down with a broad smile on his face. "Will your mother help us defeat the gods?"

Iapetus's eyes widened. "She might."

Loki motioned for Iapetus to approach his throne. "Good. I have a job for you. Find your mother."

Iapetus bowed before rushing out of the throne room.

"You can't trust Gaea," a voice said from behind Loki's throne.

Loki turned to see Nemesis, the goddess of revenge. Her black eyes shined in the low light of the throne room.

An evil grin spread across Loki's face. "You're right…" he began, "but I don't need her to _join_ me to gain her powers."

_**AN: That's it for Maze of Death. Thanks to Starlit Reader, who suggested that this little piece be added as an epilogue. Stay tuned to the final story of the Champion of Olympus series.**_


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